Honorable Minister,
Honorable representatives of state institutions,
Honorable Ambassador,
Honorable colleagues and attendees,
Let me first say that it is a special pleasure for me that today we are at this important moment of formalizing a cooperation that directly serves to strengthen transparency and increase the efficiency of the justice system in our country.
The signing of this agreement between the High Inspector of Justice and the Minister of Justice is not simply a formal act, nor only about harmonizing the methodology for collecting, processing, and publishing statistical data with the standards of the European Commission within the framework of the European integration process. Rather, it is a concrete step toward building a more transparent, more accountable, and more efficient system, through improving the collection, processing, and analysis of statistical data in justice.
The High Inspector of Justice, as a key contributor to the implementation of the priorities of Chapter 23, has played an active role in pursuing them with absolute priority by taking concrete steps in working practices and standards. In this context, our contribution goes beyond data harmonization, extending to the promotion and implementation of working practices aligned with the highest European standards, the model toward which our institutions, our society, and our country aspire.
Given that public trust in justice institutions is essential, accurate and reliable data play a key role, not only as indicators of our performance, but also as important instruments for drafting sound policies, identifying problems, and undertaking sustainable reforms and functional methodologies for every justice institution in the country, including the High Inspector of Justice.
Establishing a system with accurate and accessible statistical data serves not only to measure the performance and efficiency of courts and prosecution offices, but is also essential in terms of transparency, accountability, and identifying the need for continuous improvement within the justice system.
Only if we manage to create a complete and accurate picture of the state of the justice system, (such as the average time required for judicial review, the progress in reducing court backlogs and the workload of magistrates) we can identify concrete measures, make accurate assessments, and design effective strategies that increase the quality and efficiency of justice.
Justice system statistics also have a significant impact on the planning of thematic inspections that address the most fundamental issues of the system, thereby increasing the effectiveness of recommendations. The clarity, comprehensibility, and accuracy of statistical data contribute to assessing the impact of completed inspections. By comparing data before and after each inspection, we can more effectively evaluate how recommendations improve efficiency and strengthen public trust.
In this sense, it is necessary to ensure the standardization of data collection and processing, as well as the creation of integrated systems that guarantee transparency, traceability, and controlled access to information. Only through such infrastructure statistical data can become a real decision-making instrument, supporting fair assessments based on accurate evidence. At the same time, this process cannot be separated from the infrastructure and functional conditions in which courts and prosecution offices operate. Improving these systems is an essential component that directly affects both work efficiency and data quality.
The cooperation formalized through this agreement, aims to create a unified and standardized approach to managing justice statistics, ensuring that the information produced is accessible, comparable, and useful for informed decision-making. Through this joint commitment, our institutions seek to improve the quality of services provided to citizens.
The High Inspector of Justice remains committed to its mission of ensuring accountability and high professional standards within the judicial and investigative system. In this context, working together with the Ministry of Justice in areas of common interest is essential to ensure that every initiative is based on accurate data and sound analysis.
I would like to express my gratitude to the Ministry of Justice and to all those who contributed to achieving this agreement. I am confident that this is only the beginning of a fruitful cooperation that will bring concrete and tangible results in the service of justice and citizens.
In conclusion, let me emphasize that building a reliable justice system is an ongoing process that requires commitment, cooperation and a long-term vision. The agreement we are signing today is an important step in this direction.
In this context, to address this stage of development and the problems of the system today, in my personal view, we must clearly understand that justice reform is a vital undertaking for Albanian society.
The implementation of justice reform is the definitely the responsibility of justice institutions. However, such a deep, long and complex process, in terms of the social and political values that this reform aims to cultivate in Albanian society, necessarily requires the commitment of the political and institutional system, as well as of Albanian society as a whole.
