The First Phase of Judicial Informatisation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The first phase of the informatisation of the judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina lasted from mid-2004 to the end of 2010. During this period, the HJPC BiH implemented a series of steps through various channels to support the development of a comprehensive and modern judicial information system, aimed at improving the delivery of justice for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The most significant achievements that led to the establishment of a unified judicial information system in BiH include:

• The establishment of a centralised operational environment for data processing and storage within the HJPC BiH;
• A national wide area network (WAN) connecting 93 institutions was established;
• Local area networks were set up in 93 institutions;
• Judicial institutions were equipped with over 150 servers;
• Computers were provided for some 5,000 users within the judiciary;
• A Court Case Management System – CMS was developed and implemented, and a Prosecutorial Case Management System – TCMS was created for prosecutor’s offices;
• Citizens had easier access to information through a judicial web portal;
• A system for centralised, regional, and local ICT support was established;
• More than 120 ICT experts were employed in courts and prosecutor’s offices across BiH;
• 50 information kiosks were installed in public areas of courts across BiH to improve online access to court information for all citizens, including those unable to access the internet from other locations.

The first phase of the judicial informatisation process, during which its key components were developed, was carried out through a series of projects, including CARDS 2003, 2004 and 2005 projects, implemented between 2004 and 2008, which established the core information and communication infrastructure and introduced a new system for the passive collection of fines – the Register of Fines and Minor Offence Records (RMFMR/RoFMOR).

Between 2005 and 2010, the European Commission, through CARDS and IPA projects, along with other donors, provided significant funding for equipping courts and prosecutor’s offices with computers, printers and servers. All computers had licensed Microsoft Windows XP operating systems and Microsoft Office 2003 application packages.

The ICT/CMS Project, implemented between 2008 & 2011 with the support of Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway, the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina, resulted in the development and comprehensive implementation of the Court Case Management System – CMS, the development and implementation of a customised Prosecutorial Case Management System, and the establishment of a unified web portal that enabled the fast and cost-effective development of websites for judicial institutions.

As part of the informatisation process, the HJPC BiH recognised the need to ensure systematic support for processes related to human resources management, both within judicial institutions and within the HJPC itself, which is responsible for conducting the processes for the selection and appointment of judicial office holders. To that end, between 2011 & 2014, with financial support from the Government of the Kingdom of Norway, the HJPC BiH developed a comprehensive Human Resources Management Information System for the judiciary, thus ensuring systematic support to the process for the selection and appointment of judicial office holders. The Human Resources Management Information System consists of seven modules designed to support specific work processes, including a dedicated module for computer-based entrance level testing of candidates for judicial and prosecutorial positions. The introduction of this module raised the selection process for judges and prosecutors to a completely new level of transparency, which would not have been possible without such a sophisticated ICT solution.