“Albanian courts have become like burlesques and I’m looking forward to autumn when we will pass the package of the reform in justice”.
This was said by PM Edi Rama a day ago, warning a revolution in the Albanian justice system.
Mr. Rama says that he considers courts as “the most corrupt, abusive and ridiculous powers that have made Albania a disgrace”.
Recalling the national operation against the theft of power supply, Rama warns: “What we have done with power supply is nothing to what we have done with the judicial system”.
“We will shake the judicial system out of its foundation in an unimaginable way for those bastards who have used the judge’s mantel to take the side of the crime”, Mr. Rama noted.
Why all of this “anger” against Albanian courts?
It’s clear that many judges are corrupt and many others are politically influenced.
On the other hand, some are incompetent and some others abuse with legal flaws.
What’s more, the way laws are interpreted enables everyone to gain, from the police officer who carries out the arrest, to the investigator, prosecutor, lawyer and judge. This way, many people pay thousands of Euros to benefit soft sentences against them.
On the other hand, many civil lawsuits have been delayed a very long time, due to corruption and irresponsibility, making it impossible for properties and businesses to be sold and bought due to the lack of the necessary documents.
Unfortunately, civil lawsuits for properties have often turned into tragedies for the sides involved, who are tired of waiting so many years in courts. Following a failure in civil lawsuits, which leads to serious crimes, the sides have returned to courts on their own or with their relatives, but now, in criminal lawsuits.
These are only a part of the facts that shock the country and oblige the government to take urgent measures to change the situation.
At the same time, the declarations issued by international community are clear when it says that the Albanian justice system is full of corrupt people.
This is also confirmed by Mr. Rama. “Albania’s courts are the courts that have made this country a disgrace in the eyes of the international community. We will not allow a group of corrupt people who are more irresponsible than criminals themselves with their acquittals, to hold us to ransom and prevent us from joining the European Union”.
Rama warns that in autumn, parliament will adopt “the toughest legal package in the history of democratic Albania”.
The prime minister says that once the package on the justice system is voted in autumn, an “operation” will then begin in order to “shake the very foundations of the justice in Albania”.
EU: Reform must be thorough and with a long term effect
EU Delegation Ambassador to Albania, Romana Vlahutin, says that the reform in the justice system is important. According to her, this is “the most crucial and important reform that Albania will undergo in the process of enlargement”.
Vlahutin suggests that this reform must be thorough, aiming for the country to have a judicial system which offers justice for the citizens of the country.
The ambassador suggests that there must not be a reform which lasts several years or an electoral cycle, but a reform which will last in the next 30-40 years.
“One of the most important things of the judicial system is stability, because it offers expectations for people and we will strongly insist for this reform to be as comprehensive as possible, including the constitutional amendments, which I think that they must be done, when it comes to this reform”.
The Albanian judicial body: We are being tarnished en bloc
Executive Committee of the National Judicial Conference held a special meeting yesterday and commented the strong declarations where the judicial body of the country is attacked.
According to this Committee “these declarations which are addressed to all judges, deteriorate the image of the judicial system and tarnish the mission and the daily work made by judges”.
“It’s not right to identify and generalize the work done by the judicial body of the Republic of Albania, with special acts which do not represent the figure and daily work of the judges”, the Executive Committee suggests.
Meanwhile, the Committee notes: “Statistics clearly show the volume of work which is done in a serious way on a daily basis by hundreds of judges of the judicial system”.
The Executive Committee also launches an appeal for the highest state leaders, political leaders and heads of media: “We call on the representatives of state institutions, civil society, media, citizens to show maturity and restrain themselves when they manifest denigrating, insulting and negative opinions against judges, when they are far from being constructive and healthy”.
