![[Canton flag]](../images/b/ba-10.gif)
image by Željko Heimer, 14 May 2000
Last modified: 2024-03-08 by rob raeside
Keywords: canton 10 | wattle (yellow) |
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image by Željko Heimer, 14 May 2000
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Canton 10 is located along the western border of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its original name, Herzeg-Bosnia Canton, was deemed unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Presuda Ustavnog suda Federacije BiH, adopted on 20 November 1997 and 19 February 1998, and published on 17 June 1998 in the Federation official gazette Službene novine Federacije BiH, No. 24). The name was not accepted since no part of the Canton includes any territory of Herzegovina, while the Federal Contitution requests that cantons be named after the towns of their seats of government or regions they cover. Terefore, the canton is officially named simply as Canton 10.
Željko Heimer, 14 May 2000
The symbols of Canton 10 are prescribed in Articles 8 and 9 of the Canton Constitution Ustav Hercegbosanske Županije, adopted on 26 March 1996 by the Canton Assembly and published on 10 April 1996 in the Canton official gazette Narodne novine Hercegbosanske županije, No. 3.
The flag is a red over white over blue tricolour, in proportions 1:2. The coat of arms is set in the middle, so that the wattle enters the red stripe and the base of the shield enters the blue stripe. The height of the shield is not proscribed, but based on the prescription that the center is in the middle of the flag, and that the "depth" of the shield in the blue field is one height of the squares in the shield, it is clear that it is just about 1/2 of the hoist.
The flag is equal to the flag adopted in 1992 by the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia
The symbols were invalidated in the same ruling of the Constitutional Court invalidating the name of the canton. They do not represent the two ethnical communities, but only and exclusivly the Croats. From the day of publication of the ruling in the official gazette, the symbols were not official any more, but they have remained in de facto use ever since. The cantonal government deemed the self-ruling of the Contitutional Court unconstitutional and refused to obey it. This claim is supported by the "personal opinion" of one of the judges of the Constitutional Court, published in the same official gazette right after the ruling, stating, basically, that the symbols are not unconstitutional, since the Consitution of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has no provision regarding the design of symbols. They were, supposedly, adopted by a regular procedure and thus quite valid. The judge understands that some people of the canton can object to the design, but the procedure for the change or invalidation of those symbols should be made by other means and not through the Constitutional Court.
Željko Heimer, 14 May 2000
![[Canton arms]](../images/b/ba)10.gif)
image by Željko Heimer, 14 May 2000
The coat of arms is a Croatian cheqcky shield of red and white, set in a German-shaped shield bordered golden and with a golden outlined white pannel above containing the triple wattle. Article 8 of the Constitution determines the ratio of the wattle's height to the height of a square in the shield as 1:1, while the length ratio is 3:1.
Željko Heimer, 14 May 2000
