Throughout 2023 the Office of the High Inspector of Justice, in addition to its daily functional activity of inspection, verification, investigation and disciplinary proceedings, has paid special attention to the relationship with the citizens, by considering them in two dimensions: as complainants for alleged disciplinary violations against judges and prosecutors as well as informed citizens, through legal education activities with different social groups during the year.
Citizens as complaints have served as initiators of several different thematic inspections of the HIJ Office during 2023. One example is the thematic inspection on the procedure for reasoning and delivery written court decisions, initiated by the verification of a large number of complaints on claims for court cases delays as well as delays in delivering written court decisions by judges. This inspection, which was carried out in the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction Tirana (Civil Chamber) and the Administrative Court of First Instance Tirana, is now completed.
In the same way, the dynamics of citizens’ complaints have served to initiate thematic inspections on allocating cases at prosecution offices; on assigning cases by drawing lots and controlling reports of the electronic system in courts; on practices and causes of replacing prosecutors, on thematic inspections that are in progress as well as at different procedural stages.
Another thematic inspection, which is nearing completion, is that of releasing prisoners on parole. This inspection has been in progress since HIJ started its work in 2020, due to the high public sensitivity in that period after the releases on parole of several criminals that were well known for the justice.
Since the establishment of the High Inspector of Justice, the attention towards citizen-complainants has been high, both for those who have filed their complaints directly with the HIJ, and for others who had filed their complaints for years with previous institutions in charge of the disciplinary process of magistrates. Thus, out of 33 requests for disciplinary proceedings submitted since 2020 by the High Inspector of Justice to the High Judicial Council and the High Prosecutorial Council, 28 of them are based on complaints filed by citizens with the HIJ or with previous institutions, but inherited from the HIJ and investigated by it. Citizen engagement has been high. Only during December 2023, 100 complaints were filed by citizens with the High Inspector of Justice Office, 40 of which were filed only in the last week of December.
Bearing in mind the principle that an informed citizen manages to address the problem he encounters to the right place, the High Inspector of Justice Office is following a public communication strategy which starts in the institution with the facilities created for every complainant through its website, where there is a dedicated form to be filled out as well as every day with the assistance provided for the citizens who want to file their complaints at the HIJ premises or receive information about the progress of their complaints. During 2023, the Complaints and Public Relations Office received 237 citizens; made 188 clarifying phone calls with interested citizens and answered 202 submitted requests for information.
At the same time, communication has continued outside the institution, within the framework of transparency and public awareness on the mission, competences and responsibilities of the HIJ Office, through legal education. For this reason, the High Inspector of Justice has created a tradition of conversations with different social groups, which has been intensified during 2023.
In 12 meetings, conferences and memorandums of cooperation, various social categories have been included, from pupils and students to Civil Society Organizations, focusing on the justice system and the protection of human rights.
A mock trial by students of the secondary school “Besëlidhja e Malësë”, in Bajram Curri, open lectures with law students at University of Vlora and University of Elbasan together with the signing of memorandums of cooperation, a conversation with the students of the Academy “Citizen in charge” in Tirana, have been targeted activities for the promotion of legal education from the pre-university system to the university one.
Also, in 2023 the High Inspector of Justice, aiming at communicating with interest groups in other cities as well, organized with the support of the OSCE, two discussion tables with Civil Society Organizations in Lezhë and Lushnja. The open communication at these tables highlighted the importance of the institution’s presentation to various interest groups where they live as well as the discussions on how they perceive the institution’s role, experiences and expectations in relation to the behavior of magistrates in the system.
This direct communication of the High Inspector of Justice serves to increase the transparency and efficiency of the HIJ work, helping at the same time to increase and strengthen public trust in the justice system.
During 2023, the Office of the High Inspector of Justice has been object of professional study analyzes by Civil Society Organizations, which focus on the monitoring of the justice system. The Institute for Political and Legal Studies, the Center for the Study of Democracy and Governance and Infocip, through special events, have presented and discussed with the High Inspector of Justice, with professionals in that field and representatives of institutions, the progress of the HIJ activity, the challenges and progress as well as the vision for the future.
In this end of year resume, the Office of the High Inspector of Justice would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all the social groups, individual citizens and institutions that interacted with the HIJ throughout 2023, for their recognition, criticisms as well as suggestions to contribute to the strengthening of the institution, but also to the trust in the justice system, through the cultivation of law as a social value, through legal education with the principles of the rule of law.