Albania Strengthens its Judicial System and Commitment to the Rule of Law

The President of the Republic of Albania, Bajram Begaj, the Minister of Justice of Albania, Ulsi Manja, the European Union Ambassador to Albania, Silvio Gonzato, the Presidents of the High Judicial Council and the High Prosecutorial Council of Albania, among other representatives of international delegations and justice institutions, have gathered on the occasion of Justice Day to present their progress in international judicial cooperation and the promotion of justice in line with high-level standards.

This meeting has been supported by European cooperation through the EU4Justice project implemented by FIIAPP (Spanish Cooperation) together with Expertise France (French Cooperation) and ACIS (Italian Cooperation).

The event was also attended by the representative of the United States Embassy, Mr. David Wisner, the acting head of the OSCE presence in Albania, Ms. Clarisse Pasztory, the Ambassador of Spain to Albania, Mr. Álvaro Renedo Zalba, and members of the Embassies of Italy and France, representing the partners of the EU4Justice project consortium.

Additionally, present at the event were the President of the Constitutional Court of Albania, the President of the Supreme Court of Albania, representatives from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), USAID, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe in Albania, and members of the Judicial and Prosecutorial bodies.

EU Ambassador Silvio Gonzato highlighted the European Union’s strong commitment to supporting Albanian institutions in implementing the rule of law action plan, combating corruption, and strengthening their accountability and transparency. He also expressed gratitude for the support provided by the EU4Justice project.

All attendees emphasized the importance of the current legislative reform of justice institutions and how it has marked a significant step for Albania towards meeting international standards regarding the functioning of its judicial institutions.

The joint meeting provided a forum to address the challenges faced by the judiciary and prosecution, ranging from case backlog to resource limitations.

One of the main topics addressed was the promotion of cooperation and coordination between the Councils and the High Justice Inspector, standardizing practices, and developing joint regulations to improve the functioning of the judiciary.

Furthermore, this meeting served to continue advancing the roadmap for the approval of a Disciplinary Regulation for judges and prosecutors, developed within the framework of the EU4Justice project. This regulation aims to unify disciplinary procedures in cases involving both a judge and a prosecutor for the same facts, developed with the support of EU4Justice. The development of this regulation is the result of collaborative efforts by EU4Justice experts, members of both Councils, and the High Justice Inspector. This regulation reinforces the independence of institutions while promoting coordination and communication between the Councils.

Through constructive dialogue, the Councils seek to design strategies that improve access to justice, simplify legal processes, and foster public trust in the judicial system.