Freedom of association of judges in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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 fighting for social changes that he deems justified. Although judges are also entitled to this right, the very nature of the judicial office may call for establishing certain restrictions on the exercise of this right in order to protect the dignity of the judicial office and public confidence in the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. The first part of the paper focuses on the importance of exercising the freedom of association of judicial office holders. Special attention will be drawn to the role that professional associations of judges play in preserving the independence of the judiciary and improving its position, as well as protecting the rule of law and a democratic order. After referring to relevant provisions of international documents and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, the author analyzes the restrictions on the freedom of association of judges adopted in various national legislations. Special attention will be given to the justifiability of prohibiting judges from joining political parties, and the dilemmas arising from the membership of judges in secret societies, i.e. other organizations operating on similar grounds. The second part of the paper focuses on the legal framework of the freedom of association of judges in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the justifiability of restrictions imposed on the exercise of this right.