Criminal
Four parallel criminal codes with a state court for the gravest cases
Criminal law exists at state, entity and Brčko District level, giving four criminal codes and four procedure codes. The Court of BiH and the Prosecutor's Office of BiH handle war crimes, organised crime, terrorism and corruption.
Key rules
- The Court of BiH has jurisdiction over war crimes, terrorism, organised crime and corruption.
- Entity and Brčko courts apply their own criminal codes to ordinary offences.
- Plea agreements are available and commonly used at all levels.
Governing law
- Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Criminal Procedure Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Penalties and consequences
- Long-term imprisonment for the gravest offences, including war crimes.
- Fines, suspended sentences and community service for lesser offences.
In practice
Determining which of the four codes applies, and whether the more lenient law applies retroactively, is a recurring threshold question.