The speakers in dialogue with the participants. Bosnia and Herzegovina
The train-the-trainer workshop ‘Didactics in judicial education and training’ took place on 6 December 2023 in Sarajevo. IRZ and the Centre for the Education of Judges and Public Prosecutors in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina jointly organised the event, which was made possible by project funding from the Federal Foreign Office.
The starting point were keynote speeches by Dr Robert Jović, Judge at the Court of Appeal of the District of Brčko, Norbert Koster, former judge at the Higher Regional Court of Hamm and the responsible IRZ head of section, lawyer Dr Stefan Pürner.
An intensive discussion began right at the start of the event, in which the participants, who themselves lead further training courses or are intended to do so, contributed their own suggestions and experiences. In this context, they took a critical look at current practice in training events. After an in-depth analysis, they developed tips for better design, ranging from preparation and the selection of a suitable format for the respective needs to the visualisation of legal content.
It became clear that the improvement of further training programmes is a cross-cutting issue, as an increase in quality in this area benefits further training activities in all areas of law – an aspect that plays an increased role, especially in times of scarce resources.
In conclusion, the participants emphasised that the workshop focused on didactics and that the results could therefore be incorporated into a guide for lecturers as part of follow-up activities. They therefore asked IRZ to continue and expand its activities in this area.
Source: Vaša Prava: Participants in the discussions Bosnia and Herzegovina
Issues of equal rights for women in the law: a seminar on this theme was held in Sarajevo on 4 October 2023, organised by the IRZ with the non-governmental organisation, Vaša Prava, which operates a nationwide network for legal advice and representation of persons in need and vulnerable groups.
This event was made possible by project support from the Federal Foreign Office, and the target groups were the lawyers working at Vaša Prava, judges and representatives of other organisations, including the Agency for Gender Equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the non-governmental organisation TRIAL International, which is active in the protection of victims of crime.
A wide range of topics were covered, including the treatment of women in inheritance law in Bosnian-Herzegovinian practice and the experiences in the legal representation of women who were victims of sexual violence during the war. In the latter area, the association recently obtained a landmark decision for one of its clients, who was awarded damages amounting to tens of thousands of Euros.
The situation of women in the area of domestic violence is particularly problematic. Many cases fail to be prosecuted here because the victims refuse to report them through a sense of shame, and also because the police are reluctant to take action, as these cases are internal family matters.
Adisa Zahiragić, a judge at the Sarajevo Cantonal Court, and Ahmet Salčin and Emir Prcanović, two senior directors of Vaša Prava, gave presentations to ensure that the event included both the perspective of the judiciary and that of consulting practice. The situation in Germany was set out by Ms. Ramona Pisal, former President of the Potsdam Regional Court and Vice President of the IRZ Board of Trustees. Her comments on domestic violence and proposals for potential improvement in the legal situation of victims in Bosnia and Herzegovina resonated with all the participants and provoked great interest and formed a basis for some intense discussions.
Prof. Dr. Slađana Aras Kramar from the Zagreb Faculty of Law, during her presentation. Bosnia and Herzegovina
The 11th International Conference “Family law days” was held in 21-22 September 2023 in Mostar, attended by researchers, judges and employees of organisations in the family welfare sector.
This event was jointly organised by the local Faculty of Law “Džemal Bijedić” and the IRZ and was opened by the Dean of the Faculty of Law Prof. Dr. Amra Jašarbegović, the Vice Rector of the University “Džemal Bijedić” Prof. Dr. Armina Hubana, the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Prof. Dr. Rašid Hadžović, and the State Secretary to the Minister of Science and Technology of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Jasmin Branković, and Dr. Stefan Pürner as the IRZ responsible project area manager.
This was followed by two days with approx. 20 presentations and intensive exchanges of opinions and ideas, for example on the topics of divorce proceedings, the right to artificial insemination?, the legal status of legitimate and illegitimate children, children in foster families and mediation in family law. Numerous practitioners and researchers from other disciplines also attended the conference, which provided an interdisciplinary platform for the exchange of research and practice.
Similar to previous years, a transcript of the conference was produced to ensure the sustainability of the event.
