Court Reform in Albania

Court Reform in Albania

Albania's Constitutional Court upheld a law to vet judges and prosecutors for possible corruption, rejecting an appeal from opposition parties. The ruling handed down on December 22nd enforces legislation to reform Albania’s judicial system. Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama said it is now time to see the law go into action. In particular, the vetting law, provides investigative bodies to scrutinize judges and prosecutors for conflicts of interest and possible corruption.

The European Union praised Albania’s high court ruling and called upon Albanian authorities to swiftly implement the new law.

“This is essential for the advancement of Albania's EU-accession process and long-awaited by the Albanian citizens,” the delegation of the European Union to Albania said in a statement on December 23rd.

In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Tirana welcomed the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the vetting law.For its part, the United States calls on all political parties to respect the decision of the Court.The U.S. also urges Albania’s leaders to work swiftly to implement all of the historic reforms of Albania’s justice system. A meaningful reform that rids the judicial system of corrupt judges and prosecutors enjoys widespread public support and is a top priority for the United States in Albania.