Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina as Positive Legislator
Summary: The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina was established on the basis of Article VI of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina as an independent guardian of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and an institutional guarantor of the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms established by this Constitution and instruments of Annex I to the Constitution. Assuming that it is not part of the legislative, executive and regular judicial power (as positioned by the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina), the Constitutional Court acts as a separate, autonomous and independent authority and a corrective factor for the other three segments of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this way, the Constitutional Court, as one of the key state institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, contributes to the promotion of democracy, rule of law and the affi rmation of the rule of law, especially in the fi rst years after its constitution when it was necessary to protect the foundations of a democratic state and resolve a number of questions that have in some ways remained vague in the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The decisions of the Constitution are fi nal and binding. In the end, the Constitutional Court has to seek and find out the ways for implementation of its decisions. If the legislator is not able to do that, the role of the guardian of the Constitution imposes on the Constitutional Court, even in the unpopular (realistically, rarely used) role of a positive legislator, to bring the procedure before the court to an end - by proclaiming a law on a temporary basis. The paper explains the concept of judicial activism, its limitations and self-limitations. Then, it points out some of the most impressive forms of its realization in the case-law of the Constituti- onal Court, taking into account mutual infl uences and diff erences. Special emphasis is placed on the constitutional framework of constitutional court activism of the Constitutional Court, which is also the basis for the interpretation of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Key words: constitutional activism, the Constitutional Court, the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Rezime: Ustavni sud Bosne i Hercegovine je osnovan na osnovu člana VI Ustava Bosne i Hercegovine kao nezavisni čuvar Ustava Bosne i Hercegovine i institucionalni garant zaštite ljudskih prava i osnovnih sloboda ustanovljenih ovim ustavom i instrumentima Aneksa I na Ustav. Polazeći od toga da nije dio zakonodavne, izvršne i redovne sudske vlasti(kako je Ustavom Bosne i Hercegovine pozicioniran), Ustavni sud djeluje kao posebna, samostalna i nezavisna vlast i korektivni faktor za ostala tri segmenta vlastiu Bosni i Hercegovini. Na ovaj način Ustavni sud, kao jedna od ključnih državnih institucija Bosne i Hercegovine, doprinosi unapređenju demokratije, vladavine prava i afirmaciji pravne države, naročito u prvim godinama nakon svoga konstituisanja kada je trebalo štitititemelje demokratske države i riješiti jedan broj pitanja koja su u važećem Ustavu Bosne i
Hercegovine na neki način ostala nedorečena. Odluke Ustavnog suda su konačne i obavezujuće. U konačnici, Ustavni sud mora tražitii iznalazitinačine da se njegove odluke provedu. Ako zakonodavac to nije u stanju, uloga čuvara Ustava nalaže Ustavnom sudu da, makar i u nepopularnoj (realno, rijetko korištenoj) ulozi pozitivnog zakonodavca, postupak pred sudom dovede do kraja - proglašavanjem nekog zakona na privremenoj osnovi. U radu se objašnjava pojam sudskog aktivizma, njegova ograničenja i samoograničenja. Zatim, ukazuje na neke najupečatljivije oblike njegovog ostvarivanja u praksi Ustavnog suda, vodeći računa o međusobnim uticajima i razlikama. Posebno se ukazuje na ustavnopravni okvir ustavnosudskog aktivizma Ustavnog suda koji je i temelj za tumačenje Ustava Bosne i Hercegovine.
Ključne riječi: ustavnosudski aktivizam, Ustavni sud, Ustav Bosne i Hercegovine, zaštita ljudskih prava i sloboda.