Srebrenica Court Gets Much-Needed Facelift
Srebrenica Basic Court President Hajrudin Halilovic has spent most of his life in the city’s court, having gotten his first job there in 1971. When he returned after the war to find the court in ruins, he was shocked.
“It was a disaster,” Halilovic recalled. “Garbage was everywhere and the building had sustained severe damages. We cleaned up, but clients were still very affected by the bad conditions, such as the lack of heating.”
Fortunately, a remedy was available. USAID’s Justice Sector Development Project (JSDP) in partnership with the BiH High Judiciary and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) developed the Model Courts Initiative. The aim is to reach European standards in 39 local courts including access to open hearings and court information, internal organization and communication, and case, archive and performance management. The project includes physical renovations to improve customer service.
The court’s renovation is expected to cost $680,000 and will be the Model Court Initiative’s most expensive project to date. Forty percent of the total cost is being funded by the Republika Srpska government.
“We really couldn’t do much about improving court administration without first reconstructing the building. We were very pleased when JSDP decided to help us renovate the court,” said Halilovic.
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| JSDP Administrator Eugene Murret (l) and translator listen as Court President Hajrudin Halilovic (r) discusses improvements to the court. |
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