High Inspector of Justice Mr. Artur Metani, during his working visit to Rome, had a meeting at the Italian Ministry of Justice, where he signed a memorandum of understanding with the Head of the General Inspectorate of Justice in Italy, Mrs. Maria Rosaria Covelli, with a view to strengthening the inter-institutional relations and exchanging the best practices, within the framework of inspection procedures and disciplinary investigation against magistrates.
In his speech during the signing ceremony, Mr. Metani said that different member states of the European Union, such as Italy years ago, or aspiring countries like Albania, have undergone evolution and profound reforms regarding the justice system in general and the disciplinary system of magistrates in particular.
“The powers entrusted to magistrates are closely linked to the values of justice. The standards of conduct applying to magistrates are the corollary of these values and a precondition for citizens’ confidence in the administration of justice. Despite the differences among the disciplinary systems of different countries, at European level there is a common goal, which is finding the balance between the independence of the judicial system or the decision-making authority of magistrates and the disciplinary responsibility. This is our joint challenge now “, said Mr. Metani.
After signing the agreement, Mrs. Maria Rosaria Covelli said that the Italian Inspectorate enthusiastically accepted the invitation of the Albanian counterpart, being sure that the formalized cooperation with this memorandum will be a mutual added value which will further consolidate the already excellent relations that Italy has with Albania.
Among the forms of cooperation, Article 2 of the Memorandum provides for the exchange of information on practices and experiences related to disciplinary investigations against magistrates, on the methodology of inspections and preparation of annual plans and on modalities of communication with the public in order to guarantee the balance between the principle of open justice and the principle of personal data protection.
For her part, the Minister of Justice Mrs. Marta Cartabia, underlined the importance of this agreement within the framework of the cooperative relations between Italy and Albania.
