US tells judiciary’s role in democracy is essential

TIRANA, March 2 – U.S. Ambassador John L. Withers said Monday at a meeting of the High Council of Justice that preserving independence and fighting corruption were determining for the Albanian judiciary.
Judges from all over the country were present at the meeting.
The ambassador said that the role of the judiciary was fundamental in the country’s progress towards full democracy.
Withers mentioned a saying from an ancient Greek scientist that, “If you give me one firm plot of ground on which to stand, I can move the whole world.”
“This is exactly what I think about the role of the judiciary and of judges in a democracy. The firm point of ground on which you stand is the law, embodied in the Constitution and other pieces of legislation.”
He said that through their knowledge, expertise, and integrity they were “able to ensure the growth, the stability, and the continued emergence of Albania’s democracy.”
There is really nothing more important to a free and democratic society than a fair and honest system of justice, he said, stressing that was not simply his personal opinion, but the policy of his government and the belief of his people.
Referring to the last State Department’s Human Rights Report he said it was a well considered, carefully viewed and reviewed and revised document.
“The view of the Department of State is that this is where emphasis must be put in Albania to bring its democracy to full fruition. It is a very clear statement, it is a very strong statement, and I would urge all of you who have not had the opportunity to read the report carefully. I think all of you will see that the centerpiece of that report is the emphasis on the rule of law in Albania.”
One could hardly find a clearer, more direct clarification of what the report meant to Tirana.
He repeated that the judiciary had a very special role in a democracy. But he also added that “there is nothing more important than the separation of powers between and among the various branches of government. There is nothing more important than the independence of the judiciary.” That was surely a clear voice to the country’s politics and its involvement and interference into the judiciary.
The independence of the judiciary entails the independence to decide based solely on the law and the evidence, free from political and personal pressures, he said, adding that any threat to this independence is a clear step backward.
Fighting corruption remained another top priority to the country’s judiciary, which he said “have the greatest responsibility of all … as the people of Albania, from every village, town, and city, rely on all of you to render justice and protect the rights of citizens, to treat a poor farmer the same as a rich land developer, to have the courage to stand up to pressure from not only the politically powerful, but perhaps from those close to you personally.”
“To carry out your great task, you must have great courage, courage to stand up to pressures, courage to make difficult decisions based solely on law and evidence, and, perhaps most difficult, courage to root out corruption amongst yourselves.”
It is enormously important that the court system not be seen as corrupt, he said also urging the judges to be courageous in defying the political intervention.
Withers stressed the US support “in your respect for the law, you are not alone in making your courageous stands.”