Approval of the new judicial map: A priority of the Albanian justice reform

Abstract

The justice reform that was crowned in our country with constitutional and legal changes in 2016, aims to reorganize existing institutions in the field of justice and establish new constitutional institutions that aim to increase public confidence in more effective justice. One of the main normative acts that are part of the justice reform in Albania is the adoption of law no. 98/2016 “On the Organization of the Judiciary in the Republic of Albania”, which provides, inter alia, the approval of the new judicial map, based on the criteria and principles of territorial distribution of courts of general jurisdiction, courts of appeal and special courts, including administrative courts. Based on this normative act, it turns out that the new judicial map has not been finalized yet, which is approved by the Ministry of Justice in cooperation with the High Judicial Council. Related to the content of the new draft judicial map in the discussion process, the question that arises is whether “out of 22 courts of general jurisdiction of the districts, including six administrative courts of first instance, including six courts of appeal of general jurisdiction, which are supposed to be reorganized. in 12 courts of general jurisdiction, two administrative courts of first instance and one court of appeal of general jurisdiction “would it be a real opportunity to increase the quality of judicial activity, within a fair legal process? There is a postulate in jurisprudence that is “delayed justice is denied justice”. Based on this postulate, the new judicial map has urged the debate regarding the fact that the resolve of court proceedings as soon as possible, as well as the unification of case law due to the centralization of courts, should not jeopardize access to the parties and interest group for a fair and public process by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law. The lack of resources in the judiciary, due to the vacancies with judges and prosecutors that are currently being created at all levels of the justice system, cannot serve as an excuse for the concentration of courts through a new judicial map without analysis of other social and economic factors, which, as we analyzed above, directly affect the delivery of a more efficient and effective justice than what we currently have.