TIRANA, Oct. 3 – International representatives made it clear this week there should be no watering down of Albania’s justice reform, urging local authorities to fully implement commitments to revamp the country’s justice sector.
Implementation of the justice reform in Albania means the procedures, habits and attitudes in every sector of the judicial system must improve, Robert Wilton, deputy head of the OSCE Presence in Albania said Monday at an event marking the 20th Anniversary of the Albanian School of Magistrates.
“True reform isn’t in paper or in Parliament; true reform must be in every courtroom and legal office in the country,” Wilton said. “Reform must be experienced, and it must be believed, by Albania’s citizens. As long as Albania’s citizens do not trust in the fairness of the system when they walk into a courtroom, there is no reform.”
Speaking at the same event, the head of the EU Delegation to Albania, Romana Vlahutin said many challenges remain as the country prepares for the justice reform.
“Albania is now at the outset of a new judicial system. In the coming months and years the Albanian vetting commission will have an extremely big responsibility to deliver impartial re-evaluation of 800 judges and prosecutors, and their work will be accompanied by very close observation of the senior international judges and prosecutors,” Ambassador Vlahutin said.
She said this is very important for the people of Albania, but also outside of Albania.
“Many will be watching very closely. And here I want to personally thank those decent, hardworking judges and prosecutors who were the first to support the vetting, fully understanding that it is going to bring additional power of respect to all of them who do their work with independence and dignity,” Vlahutin added.
The statements comes as Albania’s opposition has expressed concern with the ruling Socialist majority’s stance to give the justice reform implementing bodies fewer staff members and less funding that they had originally requested.
Opposition representatives say this is being done on purpose to water down the justice reform now that the Socialists no longer need it as part of their electoral campaign and to win international support.
