High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC BiH) removed from office a judge of the Municipal Court in Sarajevo, Milena Rajić, for negligence in the performance of duties.
The Council stated in its decision that trust in legal and correct work of Judge Rajić has been put into question, likewise that of the Municipal Court in Sarajevo. Therefore, no other disciplinary measure would have achieved the preventive purpose of the punishment. When deliberating the decision, the Council took into account the judge behavior during the disciplinary proceedings, the history of disciplinary sanctions against her and her lack of respect for the institution’s bodies. The said HJPC’s decision is final but Rajić may appeal it before the Court of BiH.
She had been sanctioned in the past. In 2011, she was publicly reprimanded for slow performance, while in 2018 she was sanctioned with a salary cut because of a number of blunders in her work: she handed down decisions that didn’t meet standards; failed to adhere to the BiH Constitutional Court’s decision; failed to timely secure surety in certain cases; slow performance in issuing verdicts and not complying with another court’s request for a verdict.
There are currently three criminal proceedings against Rajić before the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo. She is a defendant in the criminal cases of “Kurir 1”, “Kurir 2” and “Justice” for violation of law. In all three cases, she’s been accused of issuing verdicts based on forged information and participating in fabricated litigations to deed property to people who had no right to it.
