The role of the High Justice Inspector \ in strengthening the rule of law and improving Albania’s preparation for EU membershipIn the framework of the project:
Cluster One EU Negotiations Platform – Albania (C1-EU-NPA)

The conference “The role of the High Justice Inspector \ in strengthening the rule of law and improving Albania’s preparation for EU membership” organized by the Center for the Study of Democracy and Governance in cooperation with the High Justice Inspector, offered a platform for the discussion about the role of the HJI in strengthening the rule of law in Albania and the preparation for membership in the European Union. The participation of local authorities, diplomatic representatives, academics and legal professionals contributed to an in-depth analysis and discussion of the challenges and opportunities of the judicial system in this context.

In this conference, it was emphasized that justice is the foundation of a democratic society and the reference point of the rule of law. Also, the discussion focused on the importance of judicial culture as one of the main elements that affect the integrity and efficiency of justice.

At the opening of the conference, Arjan Dyrmishi, Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Democracy and Governance, Artur Metani, High Justice Inspector, Ambassador Reinout Vos, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana, and Lenka Vitkova, Head of the Sector of Justice and Good Administration at Home, EU Delegation focused on the relevance of the discussion and the need for independence and integrity of justice on the ëay to EU membership.

CSDG researchers shared findings on the discussion paper “Strengthening Judicial Culture as a Tool for Effective Justice Reform Implementation and the Role of HJI”, focused on improving judicial culture, including appropriate training, promoting a culture of integrity and transparency, as well as the deepening of research to evaluate the independence of the judiciary in the context of culture.,

The topics discussed and the recommendations made by the participants aimed to contribute to strengthening the judicial culture, which is essential for the independence, integrity and efficiency of the judicial system. The discussion panel had words from experts in the field such as Isida Koka, adviser at the High Inspectorate of Justice, Dr. Erind Merkuri, lecturer at the Faculty of Law at the University of Tirana, and Marash Logu, Legal advisor at the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Party, as well as interventions by foreign experts such as Rene van Veen, judge at the Court of Appeal of Den Bosch, and Bart de Bruijn, Regional Rule of Law Coordinator, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Serbia and in Montenegro, who shared their approach to the topic.