The Constitutional Court of BiH has temporarily suspended four laws that have entered into force in Republika Srpska, which relate to the ban on the activities of judicial institutions in the territory of RS.
The President of the entity, Milorad Dodik, who initiated the adoption of these laws after the ruling in the Court of BiH, says that he is not interested in the decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH, and that he will not respond to an interview with the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH.
With the decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH, the laws adopted by the National Assembly of the RS, which relate to the ban on the activities of judicial institutions and SIPE in RS, have been temporarily suspended.
“A potential legal framework is being created under which suspects and accused of numerous criminal offenses, from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are under the jurisdiction of the Court of BiH and the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, will be able to avoid criminal prosecution by simply going to Republika Srpska. There is a danger that authorized officials who implement decisions of state institutions will be prevented from exercising their jurisdiction, which could lead to conflict between these bodies and a potential escalation that would threaten peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the Constitutional Court of BiH explained.
The President of the RS also spoke out about the Constitutional Court’s decision. Dodik repeated his previously known views on the Constitutional Court, calling it truncated because it does not include judges from Republika Srpska, and called the decisions political.
If entity laws are in conflict with the Constitution of BiH, the Constitution takes precedence, so it is up to the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH to make a move, lawyers say.
The President of the RS, Milorad Dodik, confirmed that he had received summons from the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina for questioning, on suspicion of undermining the constitutional order, but said that he would not respond to the summons.
