The Case of Baralija V Bosnia and Herzegovina: A New Challenge for the State Authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Dženeta Omerdić, Harun Halilović

Abstract


Judgment by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the case of Baralija v. Bosnia and
Herzegovina holds several important points. Under the surface, different layers are visible, pointing to the deficiencies in the general state of rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The core issue, as identified
by the ECtHR is one of non-compliance with the final and binding decision adopted by the Constitutional
Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, resulting in a legal void, which has left residents of Mostar without the possibility to fulfill their rights to free, democratic, and periodical elections. However, the most interesting part of the ECtHR’s reasoning might be the view which the ECtHR holds in regards to the
position and the power of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina to step in and play an
active role, giving solutions, albeit temporary, in form of “interim arrangements.”. This article offers an overview of the background of the “Mostar case,” as well as the ECtHR’s reasoning and purported position of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the challenges this case, and previous similar ones, may represent to the State authorities.


Keywords


Discrimination; Right to free elections; Rule of law; Constitutional Court; Legal void

Full Text:

PDF

References


Caspersen, Nina (2004), ˝Good Fences Make Good Neighbours? A Comparison of Conflict-Regulation Strategies in Postwar Bosnia˝, Journal of Peace Research, 5, 569, 572-583.

Ichim, Octavian (2015), Just Satisfaction under the European Convention on Human Rights. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

Kazazić Vesna, Dženeta Omerdić (2019), ˝Elementi demokratije u (post)dejtonskoj Bosni i Hercegovini˝, Društvene i humanističke studije – DHS, 2 (8), 311-328.

Krešić, Boris, Zlatan Begić, Jasmina Alihodžić, Dženeta Omerdić (2017), ˝Influence of the Decisions of the European Court of Human Rights on the Legal Order of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Terms of Exercising Same Sex Unions, Journal of Politics and Law, Vol. 10, No. 5, 56-65.

Loucades, Louces G. (2007), European Convention on Human Rights, Collected Essays, Martinus Nijhof Publishers, Leiden

Puzić, Saša (2004), ˝Multikulturalizam i izazovi posttradicionalne pluralizacije˝, Politička misao, Vol XLI, br. 4, 59-71.

Schabas, Wiliam (2015), The European Convention on Human Rights, A Commentary, Oxford University Press, Oxford

Schneckener, Ulrich (2002), ˝Making Power-Sharing Work: Lessons from Successes and Failures in Ethnic Conflict Regulation˝, Journal of Peace Research, 2, 203, 209-210.

Steiner, Michael (2003), ˝Seven Principles for Building Peace˝, World Policy Journal, 2, 88-90.

Šarčević, Edin (2009), Dejtonski ustav: Karakteristike i karakteristični problemi, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Sarajevo

Trnka, Kasim (2004), ˝Konstitutivnost naroda i uključivanje Bosne i Hercegovine u evropske integracije˝, Pravna misao - Časopis za pravnu teoriju i praksu, br. 7-8, Sarajevo, 7-19.

Trnka, Kasim (2010), Ustavno Pravo, Fakultet za Javnu Upravu, Sarajevo

Vehabović, Faris (2006), Odnos Ustava Bosne i Hercegovine i Evropske Konvencije za zaštitu ljudskih prava i osnovnih sloboda, Acips, Sarajevo

White, Robin, Ovey, Claire, Francis Jacobs (2010), The European Convention on Human Rights, Oxford University Press, Oxford

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)

General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995)

Dayton Agreement on Implementing the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995)

Resolution UN Security Council no. 1031 of 15 December (1995)

Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, English version published by OHR

Constitution of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, English version published by OHR

Arbitral award for Brcko, as published by OHR

Interim Statute of Mostar (1996), Official Gazette of the City of Mostar, No. 1, 20

Decision by the High Representative on declaring the Statute of the City of Mostar, 28 January 2004

Decision by the High Representative on adopting the changes to the Election Law, 28 January 2004

Decision by Central Election Commission, adopted on 18 December 2018, Official Gazette BiH no. 21/18

Carson and Others v United Kingdom (GC), no. 42184/05, 16 March 2010, ECLI:CE:ECHR:2010:0316JUD004218405

Burden and Burden v United Kingdom, 13378/05, 12 December 2006, ECLI: CE:ECHR:2006:1212JUD001337805

Baralija v Bosnia and Herzegovina, no. 30100/18, 29 October 2019, ECLI: CE:ECHR:2019:1029JUD003010018

Sejdic and Finci v Bosnia and Herzegovina (GC), no. 2799/06 and 34836/06, 22 December 2009, ECLI:CE:ECHR:2009:1222JUD002799606

Pilav v Bosnia and Herzegovina, no. 41939/07, 9 June 2016, ECLI:CE: ECHR:2016:0609JUD004193907

Zornić v Bosnia and Herzegovina, no. 3681/06, 15 July 2014, ECLI:CE: ECHR:2014:0715JUD000368106

Decision by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 22 September 2004, Published in the Official Gazette of BiH no. 46/04

Decision by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 27 February 2004, Published in the Official Gazette of BiH no. 18/04

Revised text of the Rules of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Official Gazette BiH nos. 22/14, 57/14

Decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH in case no.U-23/14, 1 December 2016, Official Gazette of BiH no. 54/17

Decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH in case no. U9/09, 26 November 2010, Published in Official Gazette of BiH no. 48/11

Decision on non-implementation, Constitutional Court of BiH, in case no. U9/09, 18 January 2012, Official Gazzete of BiH no. 15/12

Decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH, in case U-5/04, Official Gazette of BiH no 49/06;

European Commission (2019), Communication From The Commission To The European Parliament And The Council, Commission Opinion on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s application for membership of the European Union, Available via: https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/sites/near/files/20190 529-bosnia-and-herzegovina-opinion.pdf , Accessed July 2020;

Council of Europe Press Release (2019), Sejdić and Finci - After 10 years of absence of progress, new hopes for a solution for the 2022 elections, Available via: https://www.coe.int/en/web/execution/-/sejdic-and-finci-after10-years-of- absence-of-progress-new-hopes-for-a-solution-for-the-2022-elections, Accessed July 2020

EU Delegation to BiH (2020), Press release from 17 June 2020, Available via http://europa.ba/?p=69147, Accessed July 2020

Council of Europe (2020) Press release, 9 July 2020, Available via https:// www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/mostar-congress-spokespersons-welcome- adoption-of-amendments-to-the-election-law-of-bosnia-and-herzegovina, Accessed July 2020

Commission for Reforming the City of Mostar (2003) Recommendations of the Commission Report of the Chairman, Sarajevo

Radio Free Europe, Interview The president of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Knezevic, Available via: https://www.slobodna evropa.org/a/intervju-zlatko-knezevic/29961324.html, accessed May 2020;

Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2013 Census Data, Availa- ble via https://www.popis.gov.ba/, Accessed May 2020.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


ISSN: 2490-3604 (print) ● ISSN: 2490-3647 (online)

Društvene i humanističke studije - DHS is under the Creative Commons licence.