FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION OF JUDGES IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Abstract
Freedom of association is one of the fundamental freedoms and is considered one of the necessary elements of a free society. Isolated from other members of the community, an individual would have little chance of successfully resisting the arbitrariness of the ruler, or of fighting for social changes that he deems justified. Although judges also possess this right, the nature of the office they hold may require the establishment of certain restrictions on its exercise to protect the dignity of the judicial office and public confidence in the independence and impartiality of the judiciary.
In the first part of the paper, the importance of the realization of the right to freedom of association of judges will be emphasized. Attention will be drawn to the role that professional associations of judges play in preserving the independence of the judiciary, as well as protecting the rule of law and a democratic order. After pointing out the relevant provisions of international documents and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, the restrictions on the freedom of association of judges adopted in various national legislations will be analyzed (special attention will be given to the justifiability of prohibiting judges from joining political parties, as well as the dilemmas arising from the membership of judges in secret societies, i.e. other organizations operating on similar grounds). In the second part of the paper, the legal framework of the freedom of association of judges in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be analyzed.
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