Dr. Robert Jović, Judge and President of the Judicial Practice Department

Judge Robert Jović was born in 1985 in Zagreb. He is married and a father of two sons. He obtained his undergraduate law degree in 2007 from the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade (International Law Department), and passed the Bar Exam on 16 February 2012 before the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo. He continued his academic education at the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade, successfully completing his Master’s studies in 2011 (Public Law Module – Administrative Law Sub-module), followed by doctoral studies in 2019 (Administrative Law).

Judge Jović began his legal career at the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Republika Srpska, where he worked as Coordinator of the Legal Department from 1 October 2007 to 29 January 2008. He then continued his professional engagement at the Public Utility Company “Vodovod i kanalizacija” Bijeljina, from 1 February 2008 to 31 January 2016, serving most of this period as Head of the Legal, Human Resources and General Affairs Department and Chief Legal Representative. During this time, he was also engaged as a mediator with the Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes of Republika Srpska.

In early 2016, he was appointed as a Judge of the Municipal Court in Živinice, assuming office on 1 February 2016. He initially worked in the Enforcement Division, later transferring to the Criminal Division, where he was appointed President of the Criminal Department on 1 July 2019, a position he held until 1 March 2022.

Throughout his judicial career, Judge Jović has also been active as an educator, engaged by the Center for Judicial and Prosecutorial Training of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Center for Judicial and Prosecutorial Training of Republika Srpska, and the Council of Europe. He has organized and conducted numerous seminars in the fields of criminal law, administrative law, and human rights law. Notable topics include: Skills in Drafting Criminal Judgments; Judicial Review of Administrative Authorities in Citizenship Proceedings – Comparative Analysis in Serbia, Croatia, and BiH; Trial Preparation – Dilemmas and Guidelines for More Effective and Efficient Trials; Didactic Training of Educators for Effective Judicial Training; Common Errors of Lower Courts in Administrative Cases – Example of the Basic Court of the Brčko District of BiH; Judgment Writing as a Cognitive/Creative Process – Criminal Law; Recent Case Law in Administrative Matters of the Brčko District Appellate Court; Fundamental Principles of Interpretation of the ECHR (Advanced) and Procedural Rights; Application of the European Convention on Human Rights in the Case Law of the Brčko District Appellate Court.

He has successfully completed specialized training for educators in the field of judicial and prosecutorial ethics at the CEST FBiH, as well as training on the European Convention on Human Rights organized by the Council of Europe. Additionally, Judge Jović is registered in the Regional Legal Expert Database of the Regional Cooperation Council as an expert in criminal law, administrative law, judicial ethics, and trial preparation skills.

Alongside his judicial work, Judge Jović has continuously pursued academic research. He has published multiple scholarly articles, including in the fields of:

- Administrative Law: Special Administrative Procedures in the Field of Taxation in Republika Srpska and the Republic of Serbia; Protection of the Rights of Civil Servants in Republika Srpska; Is an Act Determining the Rights and Obligations of Public Utility Service Users an Administrative Act or Not?; (Un)constitutionality and (Il)legality of Rules on Conflict of Interest Proceedings in the Authorities of Republika Srpska; Administrative Procedural Aspects of the New Law on Public Procurement in Bosnia and Herzegovina; Decisions on the Merits in Administrative Disputes.

- Criminal Procedure Law: Prohibitive Measures as an Alternative to Detention in Cases of Iterative Risk – Yes or No?; Certain Dilemmas Regarding the Need to Specify the Subjective Element of a Criminal Offense in the Dispositive Part of the Indictment; The Standard of Reasoning in Judicial Decisions – Part One: Reasoning in Formal and Substantive Terms.

By decision of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina dated 10 February 2022, Judge Jović was appointed to the Appellate Court of the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, assuming office on 2 March 2022. By order of the Court President, he was designated as the liaison for direct cooperation and communication with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg within the Superior Courts Network. Since 1 January 2023, he has served as President of the Judicial Practice Department. During June and July 2023, Judge Jović completed professional training at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg as part of a Council of Europe project supporting the judiciary of Bosnia and Herzegovina.