Nishani accuses majority: Judiciary reform is being drafted unilaterally

The Albanian President, Bujar Nishani, declared that the judiciary reform is biased, favoring the majority, and that the discussion meetings were only formal. He appealed both parties to cooperate. 

Nishanispoke on the second meeting of the Committee of Interested Actors, EURALIUS IV, with the topic “Consolidation of the Judiciary System in Albania”.

“Unfortunately, I have noticed that the reform is beingrealized unilaterally by the majority, without the inclusion of the opposition. I have appealed the political parties to find their common language through political dialogue and orient the realization of this important reform, which should be consensual too. I appeal for a real and constructive cooperation between the interested parties, and a constant engagement by the Commission of Venice”, Nishani declared, who is also Chairman of the High Council of Justice.

The President expressed his reserves regarding the accelerated pass of laws, which, according to him, has been criticized by the EU too.

“I have reserves about the laws that pass without an inclusive and thorough process of reforms, based on the orientations of the Benice Commission, despite the critics of the EU in the last progress-report. The practice of rushed law amends continues, without consulting the Commission of Venice, such as the case of the Supreme Court law amends. This initiative was taken while the Supreme Court is part of the judiciary reform package and in a time when the Parliament claimed that the Special Commission would have concluded its work in six months, and would have analyzed the current situation of the judiciary, followed by the drafting of a strategic documents on the judiciary reform objective and by proposing a package of laws, including the constitutional amends”, Nishani declared.

Present in this meeting led by the Chief of the Euralius Mission, Dr.Rainer Deville, were also the EU Ambassador to Tirana, Romana Vlahuti; the Ministry of Justice, Nasip Naco; the President of the Constitutional Court, Bashkim Dedja; the Chief of the Commission for Legal Matters, Xhezair Zaganjori; the Prosecutor General, Adriatik Llalla; MPs Eduard Halimi and Oerd Bylykbashi; local and foreign legal experts, and judiciary representatives or representatives of interest groups, related to one ofthe most vital reforms.