Intense attention focused on justice in Albania

TIRANA, April 24 – A Constitutional Court judge resigned from his post in an effort to show that the prolongation of their mandate, and the verdict of that Court on the issue, was politically motivated and damaging the justice system in the country.
Nominations in the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court have been an issue of contest in the country’s politics.
The judiciary is post-communist Albania’s Achilles’ heel. Its independence and professionalism have been criticized continuously by the international community. Justice seems to be the weakest point along its integration efforts into the European Union.
Last week a conference gathered chief judges of Albania’s entire district and appellate level courts to participate in discussions of USAID and other donor initiatives to improve court operations.
The full-day conference was a unique opportunity for all chief judges of district and appellate courts in Albania to discuss progress on court management reforms and share best practices. To improve transparency of judicial proceedings, panel discussions highlighted the advantages of the court audio recording technology. To guarantee due process and lessen the burden on the court system, presentations described tools that can be used by judges to actively manage all aspects of their cases, including the use of mediation as an extrajudicial alternative to resolve disputes.
USAID’s Justice Sector Strengthening Program, JuST, is a five-year project to increase court transparency, fairness and efficiency; bolster watchdog and anticorruption roles of civil society organizations and media; and strengthen the legal profession and education in Albania.
The courtroom is critical to the functioning of any democracy, said U.S. Ambassador Alexander Arvizu. “In a democracy citizens need to believe and trust that the judicial system is blind to the inner workings of special interests and political groups or economic power.”
“It is absolutely critical that Albania make progress in its legal system and judicial reforms to increase investor confidence in Albania as a place to do business.”