From 9 to 11 September 2024, 47 newly appointed judges participated in a training program organised by the Council of Europe in Sarajevo, in collaboration with the Judicial and Prosecutorial Training Centres in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The program aimed to strengthen the judges' reasoning and writing skills.

The training was delivered in accordance with the newly developed Human Rights Training Curriculum, consisting of 14 modules. The curriculum includes an online learning component from the Council of Europe's HELP platform and applies a special adult learning methodology focused on knowledge and presentation skills. It is designed for both initial and continuous training of legal professionals.

Participants focused on two key modules: the reasoning of civil judgments and the reasoning of criminal judgments. These modules aim to enhance judges' drafting and analytical skills, ensuring that they fully exercise their role in upholding human rights at the domestic level. The training was evaluated using the Council of Europe's Methodology for Evaluation of Human Rights Training, which is integrated into the curriculum.

The training aligned with the standards set by the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) on reasoned judgments, which emphasize clarity, transparency, and accessibility. According to CEPEJ, a well-reasoned judgment must be logical, easy to understand, and provide clear justifications for the decision reached, particularly regarding how legal principles and facts are applied. These standards are crucial for ensuring public confidence in the judiciary and for safeguarding the rights of individuals in line with human rights obligations.

The Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) further outlines the importance of reasoned judgments in its opinions. It stresses that reasoned judgments serve as a cornerstone of judicial independence and accountability. They enable parties to understand the basis of decisions, facilitate potential appeals, and ensure that judicial decisions comply with national and international legal frameworks, particularly those of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The CCJE highlights that clear reasoning enhances the transparency of justice and the trust placed in judicial systems.

This training is part of the Council of Europe's ongoing support for domestic judges in Bosnia and Herzegovina, aimed at ensuring that their judgments meet the ECHR standards for clarity and fairness, while fulfilling their obligations to provide detailed and well-reasoned decisions.

This activity was made possible under the project: “Support to a coherent national implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights and facilitating execution of ECtHR judgments in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, funded under the Council of Europe Action Plan for BiH 2022-2025.