TIRANA – President of Albania Ilir Meta issued a decree on appointing three judges of the High Court of Albania on Wednesday.
Establishment of an independent and functioning judicial system has been one of the main requirements for further progress of Albania’s EU integration process. The European Commission’s updated report on Albania released earlier this month noted that, currently, there is one judge in office out of 19 judges at the High Court.
Last year, German parliament adopted a resolution on Albania, allowing the government to support opening of accession negotiations with the country only when the functioning of the Constitutional Court and the High Court staffed with the vetted judges and prosecutors is ensured.
According to the press release, Meta evaluated the proposals of the High Judicial Council without delay considering that the commencement of the functioning of the High Court is a key element in respecting the constitutional rights of citizens to a fair trial, by a court designated by law and within a reasonable time frame.
EU Ambassador to Albania Luigi Soreca welcomed the decree.
“We welcome the decision of President Meta to appoint three new members of the High Court, and we congratulate the HJC for this important achievement. The High Court is now functional to serve with high integrity the Albanian citizens”, Soreca wrote on Twitter.