TIRANA, June 14, 2022 – Albania’s official guild representing lawyers, the Chamber of Advocates, has announced that the country’s lawyers will strike for four days, boycotting all court hearings, in protest of the new court map approved on Friday by the High Judicial Council — a proposal that could lead to closure of many regional courts.
Chamber of Advocates President Maksim Haxhia told the media that the new map severely violates the access to justice of individuals and legal entities and increases costs and expenses.
According to the decision of the High Judicial Council, out of 22 courts of first instance, only 13 will remain, out of six administrative courts, only two, while for the whole country there will be only one Court of Appeals in Tirana.
The council notes that “the proposal on the New Judicial Map was drafted based on the best international standards” and that “the reorganization of judicial districts creates an innovative approach that increases the efficiency of the judicial system for citizens, realizes the fair distribution of the workload among courts and judges and promotes specialization, thereby reducing the time needed to consider a case.”
But the large reduction in the number of courts also seems to be closely linked to the significant departures of judges from the system due to the vetting process. About half of them have already been fired.
The new map underwent a lengthy consultation process. But Haxhia told the local media these consultations seem to have been mute, “because our suggestions have not been taken into account.”
The new system would affect lawyers who work outside the capital in particular as someone from the country’s southern or northern corner would have to come to Tirana to file appeals, an added expense in travel and time, experts say.
The proposal of the High Judicial Council will have to obtain the approvals of the High Council of the Prosecution, the Prosecutor General and the Minister of Finance, before being forwarded to the government for a decision.
