The High Judicial Council approves the new court map, the number of Courts is reduced

At this special meeting, the Council approved the final evaluation report of the Inter-Institutional Working Group on the reorganization of judicial districts and the territorial jurisdiction of the courts.

The adoption of the “New Judicial Map” marks the conclusion of a 3-year work of the Inter-Institutional Working Group, which has been intensively supported and assisted by experts from the Council of Europe, EWM and INL. The adopted act reflected the suggestions and opinions addressed during the public consultation process organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, by representatives of local chambers of advocacy, the General Prosecutor’s Office, judges and civil servants, as well as civil society organizations and business community. Based on these consultations, the GNP decided that the “judicial map” reform in Albania would aim at merging smaller and less efficient courts.

The proposal on the “New Judicial Map” was drafted based on the best international standards. Based on the CEPEJ methodology, the proposal on the reorganization of judicial districts creates an innovative approach that increases the efficiency of the judicial system for citizens, achieves a fair distribution of the workload between courts and judges and promotes specialization, thus reducing the time required for review. a matter of delivering a more qualitative justice.

The “New Judicial Map” guarantees the implementation of a number of objectives such as:

• guaranteeing access to justice;
• cost reduction;
• efficient use of public resources;
• improving the quality and proper performance of services provided;
• balanced workload between judges;
• providing a minimum number set by law for judges in each court, in order not only to maintain functionality, but also to promote specialization, the creation of sections with not less than 6 judges… etc.

During today’s Plenary Meeting, the proposal for reorganization of the courts was approved as follows:

Reorganization of the courts of first instance of general jurisdiction, from twenty-two district courts to thirteen such courts, with territorial jurisdiction as follows:

• Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction madet, with headquarters in the city of Berat and territorial jurisdiction in the municipalities of Berat, Dimal, Kuçovë, Skrapar and Poliçan;
• Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction Dibër, with headquarters in the city of Peshkopi and territorial jurisdiction in the municipalities of Dibër, Bulqiza, Mat and Klos;
• Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction Durrës, with headquarters in the city of Durrës and territorial jurisdiction in the municipalities of Durrës, Shijak, Kavaja and Rrogozhina;
• Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction Elbasanwith headquarters in the city of Elbasan and territorial jurisdiction in the municipalities of Elbasan, Cërrik, Belsh, Peqin, Gramsh, Librazhd and Prrenjas;
• Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction fernwith headquarters in the city of Fier and territorial jurisdiction in the municipalities of Fier, Patos, Roskovec, Lushnje, Divjakë and Mallakastër;
• Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction Gjirokastrawith headquarters in the city of Gjirokastra and territorial jurisdiction in the municipalities of Gjirokastra, Libohova, Tepelena, Memaliaj, Përmet, Këlcyrë and Dropull;
• Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction Lezhawith headquarters in the city of Lezha and territorial jurisdiction in the municipalities of Lezha, Mirdita and Kurbin;
• Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction Korcewith headquarters in the city of Korça and territorial jurisdiction in the municipalities of Korça, Maliq, Pustec, Kolonjë, Devoll and Pogradec;
• Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction Kukeswith headquarters in the city of Kukës and territorial jurisdiction in the municipalities of Kukës, Has and Tropojë;
• Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction Sarandabased in the city of Saranda and territorial jurisdiction in the municipalities of Saranda, Konispol, Finiq and Delvina;
• Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction Shkoderwith headquarters in the city of Shkodra and territorial jurisdiction in the municipalities of Shkodra, Malësi e Madhe, Vau i Dejës, Puka and Fushë Arrëz;
• Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction Tiranawith headquarters in the city of Tirana and territorial jurisdiction in the municipalities of Tirana, Kamza, Vora and Kruja;
• Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction Vlora, with headquarters in the city of Vlora and territorial jurisdiction in the municipalities of Vlora, Selenica and Himara.

The reorganization of the appellate courts of general jurisdiction, from six appellate courts, to a Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction, which is organized and functions throughout the territory of the Republic of Albania, with headquarters in the city of Tirana.

Reorganization of the administrative courts of first instance, from six administrative courts to two such courts, with territorial jurisdiction as follows:

• Administrative Court of First Instance Tirana, with headquarters in the city of Tirana and territorial jurisdiction that includes the judicial districts, Tirana, Durres, Shkodra, Kukes, Dibra, Elbasan, Lezha and Korca.
• Administrative Court of First Instance Lushnje, with headquarters in the city of Lushnje and territorial jurisdiction that includes the judicial districts of Berat, Fier, Gjirokastra, Saranda and Vlora.

The approval of this act by the HJC with an evaluative nature of the current organization and territorial competencies of the courts paves the way for the process of obtaining an opinion from the High Prosecution Council, the General Prosecutor and the Minister of Finance.

Obtaining an opinion from the above institutions is the legal condition that must be met before co-proposing the New Judicial Map and forwarding it to the Council of Ministers for approval.

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