TIRANA, Feb.8 – Lawyers throughout Albania boycotted court proceedings on Monday to protest against a government decision set to increase social security and healthcare contributions for self-employed professionals, including lawyers. As a result, court hearings were suspended in Tirana and elsewhere in Albania on Monday following a warned strike by the National Bar Association. A total of 63 trials, both criminal and civil cases, were postponed only in Tirana because of the lawyer’s one-day strike. It is reported that the only trials held normally on Monday were those involving custodial detention.
The same picture was recorded at courts in Albania’s main cities with lawyers threatening to escalate their protest in case the government does not step back. Lawyers oppose reference wages and higher social security taxes, which will most likely translate into higher service fees for consumers. The decision to stage a strike was taken on February 2 by the National Bar Association. The Bar warned lawyers intending to break the strike with penalties.
