Citizens of Tuzla will gain a new 5500 m2 Municipal Court building to be constructed with the assistance of the European Union. This EU project worth €4.5 million also includes reconstruction of the current Cantonal Court and Prosecutor’s Office in Tuzla and is the largest intervention in justice infrastructure in one location in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in BiH Ambassador Lars-Gunnar Wigemark laid the foundation for the construction of the new Municipal Court in Tuzla on 5 July. Ambassador Wigemark underlined the fact that an effective, professional and impartial judicial system is essential for ensuring the rule of law and a better quality of life for the citizens of any country, particularly in BiH, which aspires to become a member of the EU, and that adequate working conditions need to be ensured.
“The European Union has spent 50 million euros in terms of supporting the judiciary in this country, out of which 20 million has been allocated for improving buildings and infrastructure. A courthouse has a symbolic meaning. When you go to the Courthouse, in whichever country, be it BiH, my own country or anywhere in Europe, you want to be proud, and also to have confidence that justice will be delivered and that everyone is equal before the law,“ Ambassador Wigemark said.
Mayor of Tuzla Jasmin Imamović expressed his gratitude to the European Union for the financial support to this project and underlined the readiness of the City Administration to provide additional support in equipping the judicial premises.
“Helping the judiciary means actually helping citizens who need an efficient and independent judiciary, because only such justice is a guarantee of the protection of the rights and freedoms of all citizens,” Imamovic pointed out.
Prime Minister of Tuzla Canton Jakub Suljkanović expressed his gratitude for the reconstruction of Tuzla’s judicial institutions.
“We expect that the increase in the quality of working conditions will undoubtedly be reflected in the efficacy of all judicial institutions, primarily the speed of solving the cases,” Suljkanović stated.
Within the project, the EU Delegation successfully cooperated with the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH and the Governments of Sweden and Norway.
The project is part of a wider €20 million package of EU funding for the rehabilitation of courts and prosecutors’ offices throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, as support to strengthening the rule of law in the country.
