TIRANA, Oct. 4 – At a graduation ceremony for future prosecutors and judges, U.S. Ambassador Donald Lu has called on Albanian young magistrates to resist corruption and other pressures and to only serve justice throughout their careers.
Ambassador Lu called for a justice system free from corruption and said that “the time of corrupt judges and prosecutors has ended.”
He made the comments during the Albanian School of Magistrates graduation ceremony this week.
“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So get on your way. To me it means that corrupt judges and prosecutors have had their day. Today is your day. This is the time for a new generation of judges and prosecutors to make its mark on the world,” Ambassador Lu said.
He added it was the new graduates’ job to show the world that it can be done better.
“You can do your jobs professionally — without corrupt money, without political influence, and without being intimidated by dangerous criminals” Ambassador Lu added.
The head of the OSCE in Tirana, Bernd Borschardt, also attended the graduation ceremony. He told new graduates the recently-approved justice reform constitutional amendments must be implemented to start a new era in the justice system.
“There are still about 40 bylaws to be approved. People like you are needed. You will be the image of justice and law in your communities. You are promoters of the rule of law,” Ambassador Borschardt said.
He added the OSCE is committed to assist the new justice system officials.
“We should come together and join efforts for the implementation of the reform. Only when the public believes that the law is above all and is equal to all, then we will truly have rule of law in Albania,” OSCE’s Borschardt said.
In July, Albanian political leaders approved long-awaited amendments to the country’s constitution which aimed to open the way to transform the judiciary system and pave the way for the country to launch accession negotiations with the European Union.
The amendments however must be accompanied with the approval of several laws, consensus on which has yet to be reached, despite international pressure.
