Djuro Sessa, a judge and former president of the Croatian Supreme Court, was appointed President of the International Association of Judges at its annual meeting in Taiwan on Tuesday, the Croatian highest court said in a press release on Wednesday.

The International Association of Judges is a professional non-political organisation bringing together judges’ associations from 94 countries from five continents.

The appointment is an honour both to Judge Sessa and to the Supreme Court and the entire judiciary in Croatia, the press release said.

“The Supreme Court hopes that the appointment of Judge Sessa to this high and prestigious office will contribute to the greater independence and autonomy of Croatian courts, considering the status of judges and the judiciary in Croatia,” it added.