Abstract
The aim of this paper is to present and analyze the success of building the rule of law (RoL) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and also to analyze major obstacles for building the RoL in B&H. Put more simply, the paper addresses the issues regarding the transition from authoritarian regime to democracy and the effectiveness of such process in B&H but in practical terms with specified issues and goals. The paper analyzes the legal nature of rule-by-law system in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and its effects on the legal order of B&H. B&H is still in a transitional process from the rule-by-law system to the RoL, and this paper analyzes obstacles inherited from the Yugoslav legal system. The author explores the quality of relations between the Communist party, effectiveness in protecting human rights, and efficiency of the state institutions and compares the mentioned relations to the current model of the institution’s operation in B&H and along with that the author analyzes the extent to which B&H made progress in building the RoL. Beside formal changes specific to building the RoL, author also explores whether any substantial changes occurred regarding the functioning of the institutions in the interest of the citizens.
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Notes
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
Sajó (1995), pp. 97–104.
- 4.
On rule by law also see: Dyzenhaus (2021).
- 5.
Moustafa and Ginsburg (2008), pp. 1–13.
- 6.
Dyzenhaus (2021), p. 261.
- 7.
Waldron (2021), p. 96.
- 8.
Bingham (2010), pp. 172–173.
- 9.
For further information on the difference between the rule-by-law principle and the rule of law refer to: Tushnet (2014), pp. 79–92.
- 10.
Andjelić (2003), pp. 26, 35.
- 11.
Bensosn (2001), pp. 96–97.
- 12.
Lapenna (1972), p. 214.
- 13.
Maksimović (1965), pp. 164–167.
- 14.
Sadurski (2014), p. 6.
- 15.
Fisk (1971), pp. 279–280.
- 16.
Ibid, p. 278.
- 17.
Uvalić (1992), pp. 105–106.
- 18.
Ibid, p. 214.
- 19.
Bensosn (2001), p. 132.
- 20.
Lapenna (1972), p. 216.
- 21.
Leonardson and Mirčev (1979), p. 193.
- 22.
Bensosn (2001), p. 98.
- 23.
Leonardson and Mirčev (1979), pp. 193–194.
- 24.
Bensosn (2001), p. 132.
- 25.
Baričević (2007), p. 206.
- 26.
Fisk (1971), p. 282.
- 27.
The 1974 Yugoslav Constitution in Title III governed the rights and the duties of the citizen, while Title IV governed the principles of constitutionality and legality.
- 28.
Fisk (1971), p. 293.
- 29.
Ibid, p. 293.
- 30.
Article 381 of the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution provides the duration of judicial tenure for the YCC, whereas the election of ordinary court judges was regulated in Article 230 of the Constitution which states that judges are elected for a cpecific time period and can be re-elected.
- 31.
See: Macfarlane (1990), pp. 129–130.
- 32.
Article 230 of the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution.
- 33.
Macfarlane (1990), p. 130.
- 34.
Elster (1991), p. 265.
- 35.
Macfarlane (1990), p. 138.
- 36.
Ibid, p. 138.
- 37.
Ibid, pp. 122–123.
- 38.
Ibid, pp. 123–125.
- 39.
Ibid, pp. 126–127.
- 40.
Karčić (2020).
- 41.
Stone Sweet (2003), pp. 2767–2768.
- 42.
Degan (2011), pp. 25.
- 43.
Moustafa and Ginsburg (2008), pp. 18–19.
- 44.
Sekulić (1992), pp. 116–121.
- 45.
Baričević (2007), p. 207.
- 46.
See: Rusinow (1991).
- 47.
Cohen (1992), p. 313.
- 48.
Macfarlane (1990), p. 138.
- 49.
Andjelić (2003), p. 49.
- 50.
Baričević (2007), p. 208.
- 51.
Constitution of the Republic of B&H, the country’s official name from 1992 to 1995, was very similar to the constitution the repulic had as a part of Yugoslavia, with a lot of articles and very detailed regulation.
- 52.
The new Constitution is thus an example of an Anglo-American legal tradition with a small number of members and very general regulations.
- 53.
Article I(2) of the CB&H.
- 54.
The position and competencies of the CCB&H are regulated by Article VI of the CB&H. Provisions on the jurisdiction of the CCB&H are regulated by Article VI (3).
- 55.
Išerić (2019), p. 6.
- 56.
Chandler (2000), p. 92.
- 57.
Annex I of the CB&H lists the international agreements that will be applied in B&H, regardless of whether B&H has ratified them or not.
- 58.
Direct application guarantees the application of the provisions of the ECHR without the need to ratify the ECHR.
- 59.
Article II(6) of the CB&H.
- 60.
Article III/3 (b) of the CB&H.
- 61.
Vehabović (2006), pp. 54–60.
- 62.
Article X of the CB&H.
- 63.
Preamble of the CB&H.
- 64.
Trnka (2009), pp. 4–5.
- 65.
Trnka himself pointed out: ‘In syntagm ‘constitutent peoples’, the word peoples denotes ethno-national identity, that is a special national identity and not the people (populus) as a collective of individuals, memebers of one state. The term ‘constituent’ etymologically means basic, integral, elemental, important, that determines. The word derives from latin word ‘constituo’, which as verb means to appoint, regulate, set up, establish, form; and as a noun ‘constitution’ it means internal structure, order, organization, institution (political), constitutuion, law.’ Trnka (2000), pp. 49–50.
- 66.
See: Decision U-5/98 of the CCB&H which states that the principle of constituent peoples is determined as ‘overarching’ principle of the CB&H with which the Entities must fully comply.
- 67.
Article IV of the CB&H.
- 68.
Article V of the CB&H.
- 69.
Case of Sejdić and Finci v. B&H (Applications nos. 27996/06 and 34836/06).
- 70.
Case of Zornić v. B&H (Application no. 3681/06).
- 71.
Article 14 of ECHR.
- 72.
Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 ECHR.
- 73.
Article 1 of Protocol No. 12 ECHR.
- 74.
Case of Zornić v. B&H (Application no. 3681/06).
- 75.
See: Begić (2016).
- 76.
- 77.
Rangelov (2014), pp. 23–24.
- 78.
Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Croation Democratic Union (HDZ), Serb Democratic Party (SDS).
- 79.
Andjelić (2003), p. 196.
- 80.
Perry (2005), pp. 7–10.
- 81.
Article VI of the Constitution B&H.
- 82.
See: Išerić (2017).
- 83.
Ibid.
- 84.
See: Sahadžić (2013).
- 85.
Išerić (2017), p. 23.
- 86.
- 87.
Blagovčanin (2020), pp. 20–25.
- 88.
See: Chandler (2004), p. 313.
- 89.
Ademović et al. (2012), p. 171.
- 90.
Statement by Milan Tegeltija given for Radio Free Europe, available at: https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/vsts-tegeltija-ustavni-sud-bih/30434809.html. Accessed 3 March 2021.
- 91.
The Decision of the CCB&H: U-8/19.
- 92.
See: Nurkić and Jahić (2020).
- 93.
Haris Zahiragić guest appearance in the FACE TV program, available at: https://www.fokus.ba/vijesti/bih/zahiragic-kad-sam-se-uclanio-u-sda-bilo-je-puno-nepostenih-sad-ih-pola-ih-nema/1758488/. Accessed 3 March 2021.
- 94.
Article VI(3) of the CB&H.
- 95.
Begić (2017), p. 83.
- 96.
Trnka (2006), pp. 367–368.
- 97.
Sadurski (2014), pp. 36–37.
- 98.
Since the entry into force of the CB&H until the moment of writing of this paper, concrete review of constitutionality has been initiated 52 times. Data is avaliable at: http://www.ccbh.ba/odluke/. Accessed 5 April 2022.
- 99.
Sadurski (2014), p. 35.
- 100.
Ibid, p. 68.
- 101.
Ibid, p. 37.
- 102.
See: Ademović et al. (2012).
- 103.
Expert Report on Rule of Law issues in B&H, para 20.
- 104.
On ‘subservient legal culture’ see: Hasanbegović (2021).
- 105.
Sadurski (2014), p. 94.
- 106.
Begić (2014), pp. 35–36.
- 107.
Begić and Razić (2015), pp. 56–66.
- 108.
Decision of the Constitutional Court of the Federation of B&H, U-27/15.
- 109.
Krastev (2005), p. 323.
- 110.
See Uberti (2018), p. 35. Uberti proved that ‘(…) the countries that experienced socialist or Ottoman rule for a longer period of time tend to have more corruption today.’
- 111.
Bieber (2006), p. 34.
- 112.
Friedman (2004), p. 85.
- 113.
Donais (2013), p. 202.
- 114.
Corruption Perceptions Index, available at: https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2020/index/nzl. Accessed 5 March 2021.
- 115.
Friedman (2004), p. 104.
- 116.
Pajić (2002), p. 126.
- 117.
Donais (2013), p. 203.
- 118.
Expert Report on Rule of Law issues in B&H, para 34.
- 119.
Koga štiti bh pravosuđe: Pravna država najefikasnija u procesuiranju novinara za „klevetu“, available at: https://inforadar.ba/koga-stiti-bh-pravosude-pravna-drzava-najefikasnija-u-procesuiranju-novinara-za-klevetu/. Accessed 5 March 2021.
- 120.
Uzelac (2010), pp. 379–388.
- 121.
Kmezić (2020), p. 195.
- 122.
See: Chandler (2006).
- 123.
Šarčević (2009), pp. 68–75.
- 124.
Chandler (2000), p. 92.
- 125.
Hasanbegović (2021), pp. 123–139.
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ECtHR, Case of Sejdić and Finci v. B&H (Applications nos. 27996/06 and 34836/06).
-
ECtHR, Case of Zornić v. Bosnia and Herzegovina (Application no. 3681/06).
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Constitutional Court of the Federation of BiH, Decision, U-27/15.
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Nurkić, B. (2023). From Rule by Law to the Rule of Law: Main Obstacles to Establishing the Rule of Law in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In: Kunda, I., Meškić, Z., Omerović, E., Popović, D.V. (eds) Balkan Yearbook of European and International Law 2022. Balkan Yearbook of European and International Law, vol 2022. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29432-7_8
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