The Office of the High Inspector of Justice participated in the closing conference of the EU4Justice project, “Reflecting on achievements and looking ahead with the independent justice institutions and partners in Albania”, which brought together heads and representatives of judicial governance institutions, international partners, Ministry of Justice, legal professionals etc., to highlight the project’s main achievements and strategic priorities, and to demonstrate visible support and commitment from partners and institutional actors for the reforms.
The High Inspector of Justice was represented at the conference by the Secretary General of the HIJ, Mrs. Dëshira Pasko, who conveyed some reflections of the institution on the almost 3-year cooperation with EU4Justice.
The full speech given by Ms. Pasko:
Honorable Ambassadors,
Honorable Heads of Justice Institutions,
Honorable Participants,
I have the pleasure to convey to you, on behalf of the High Inspector of Justice, Mr. Artur Metani, some reflections on the cooperation that our institution has had with the European Union program EU4Justice, the conclusion of which has brought us all together today.
Being unique in its kind, since for the first time, the inspection of judges and prosecutors of all levels is carried out by a single institution, the High Inspector of Justice has aimed, since the beginning of its activity, to create a culture of independence, professionalism and effectiveness, as a professional challenge, in addition to a legal obligation. In this journey to build and strengthen capacities, consolidate the practice of inspection and disciplinary investigation, based on transparent and professional procedures, in accordance with international standards and best practices, and establish and strengthen standards in the system and efficiency of justice, we have been assisted by international partners, to whom we are grateful.
The professional assistance of the European Union, formerly with the EURALIUS missions and up to the EU4Justice program, has always been important in supporting Albanian justice institutions, in implementing reforms that ensure increased efficiency and quality of justice in our country, and the High Inspector of Justice has been one of the beneficiaries, who has translated the experience gained into efficiency in his daily activity.
Responding to the needs of the High Inspector of Justice, based on the strategic priorities of the institution, EU4Justice has been a present partner, which has continuously provided technical support through targeted professional activities for our institution.
The continuous training of the inspection unit in particular, but also of the staff of the High Inspector of Justice in general, is a working philosophy of the institution, for the systematic strengthening of capacities, which has led to an increase in the efficiency of the institution’s activities. EU4Justice’s assistance has been invaluable through training of the inspection unit of the High Inspector of Justice on various work dimensions, such as the review of complaints, disciplinary investigation, institutional and thematic inspection, issues of ethics and independence of magistrates, but also the exchange of experiences with counterparts from European Union countries.
Thus, the Spanish, Italian and French experience of EU4Justice have served not only to strengthen the capacities of the institution, but also to network and increase visibility through the international engagement of the High Inspector of Justice, as a member of the European Network of Justice Inspection Services, RESIJ.
Of particular value have also been the joint meetings with the High Judicial Council, the High Prosecutorial Council and other justice institutions, on specific work challenges for increasing institutional coordination and communication, supported by EU4Justice.
This European Union program has also assisted HIJ in discussing and drafting working documents, based on European models and best practices, up to the latest historical publication on judicial inspection, with the challenges and achievements of this process in 113 years of the Albanian state, are tools that help the activity, but also mark the memory not only of the institution, but also of every legal professional in their work.
In this spirit, the office of the High Inspector of Justice remains highly interested in continuing this assistance.
In our view, this is important:
Firstly, for overcoming the challenges that the justice system still has ahead,
Secondly, for consolidating the achievements to date,
Thirdly, for transforming every good practice into a sustainable standard, which will serve to strengthen citizens’ trust in justice and institutions,
and fourthly, but not least important, for the strong impact that the efficiency of justice institutions will have on the country’s membership in the European Union.
Providing justice in a timely, effective, transparent and quality manner remains a challenging process today even for European Union countries themselves. So, even in the case of Albania, it takes time, it requires commitment from every institution and public actor, and undoubtedly also from supporting partners, such as the European Union.
Thank you for your attention!
