At a glance 

The project strengthens the efficiency, consistency and legal certainty of the judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina by addressing key challenges such as inconsistent laws, lengthy judicial proceedings, and execution of European Court of Human Rights judgments.

It supports the harmonisation of judicial practice and laws and promotes dialogue among institutions responsible for enforcing court decisions, helping to identify effective and sustainable solutions and strengthen the implementation of human rights standards.

The project also builds the capacity of judges, legal associates and future legal professionals to apply the European Convention on Human Rights and national law in line with the case law of the European Court and the BiH Constitutional Court, supporting long-term improvements in judicial practice and legal education.

 Funding 

This project is implemented under the Council of Europe's Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2026-2029.

 Duration 

01 January 2026 - 31 December 2027

What are the goals and objectives of the action?

The project aims to strengthen national coordination and capacities for the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, improving public understanding, institutional cooperation and efficiency in the execution process.

It also seeks to enhance the capacity of judicial authorities and legal professionals to apply national law and European Court case-law consistently, while increasing the knowledge of law students and academic staff on European human rights standards to support long-term change.

Who benefits from the action?

The project targets citizens and students of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as key judicial institutions, including the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the supreme and courts at the entity and Appellate Court of Brčko District level, and the Bosnia and Herzegovina Agents’ Office before the European Court of Human Rights.

The partners are the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, the Ministries of Justice at state and entity levels, the Bar Associations, and the judicial and prosecutorial training centres.

How does the action work?

The action is implemented through a combination of capacity-building, expert support and institutional cooperation measures aimed at strengthening the execution of European Court of Human Rights judgments and ensuring consistent application of European human rights standards within the domestic judicial system.

• Capacity-building and expert support provided to the Government Agent’s Office, national authorities and legal professionals involved in the execution of European Court judgments, focusing on effective coordination and application of domestic remedies.
• Strengthening institutional coordination through the development of a communication platform linking the Government Agent with state and entity authorities responsible for identifying and implementing execution measures.
• Targeted training and advisory support to case-law departments and legal advisors of the highest courts and selected second-instance courts on identifying inconsistencies in judicial practice and aligning domestic case law with European Court standards.
• Support to the introduction and use of tools for the harmonisation of judicial practice and laws, contributing to greater legal certainty and consistency in court decisions.
• Pilot support for a case-law coordination entity in a selected second-instance court, testing sustainable mechanisms for monitoring, systematising and disseminating judicial practice.
• Provision of specialised expertise to improve the understanding, development and application of domestic remedies related to the length of judicial proceedings, in line with European Court case law.

What do we expect to achieve?

Upon completion of the project, we expect to see the general population in Bosnia and Herzegovina benefiting from a higher-quality judicial system that complies with human rights standards. Mechanisms for the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights should be strengthened, and the capacity of the Government Agent and domestic authorities to ensure effective remedies at national level improved.

What is the budget of the action?

The total budget of the action is 900 000 EUR.

Reference documents:

  Rule of Law Checklist - Venice Commission of the Council of Europe

  Venice Commission Opinion “On Legal Certainty and Independence of the Judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina” (2012)014

 CCJE Opinion No. 20 on the role of courts with respect to uniform application of the law

 Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)5 of the Committee of Ministers on the system of the European Convention on Human Rights in university education and professional training

 Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)3 of the Committee of Ministers on effective remedies for excessively long proceedings