Justice in Albania Faces the Challenge of a Growing Case Backlog

A high-level conference brought together judges, prosecutors, civil society representatives, and international partners to discuss how more consistent application of the law can improve the quality of justice in Albania.

Supported by the European Union’s EU4Justice project, the discussions focused on strengthening the quality of justice through better access to the law and stronger coordination to ensure fairer and more predictable decisions.

During the debates, it was emphasized that the quality of justice depends on clear reasoning and predictable rulings. The President of the High Judicial Council, Skënder Sadushi, noted that while statistics and the speed of proceedings are useful, the true test of justice remains a well-reasoned and understandable decision.

One of the main challenges identified was the high volume of pending cases. In this context, the European Union Ambassador to Albania, Silvio Gonzato, called for decisive action from both the High Judicial Council and the High Council of the Prosecution.

Gonzato highlighted the need to increase the number of judges, supported by an adequate number of legal assistants and legal advisers, to address the growing case backlog. He noted that it is not easy for Albania to manage the high volume of pending cases while maintaining a high quality of justice.

The ambassador stressed that justice is fundamental to Albania’s accession process to the European Union and underlined the need to integrate EU law into judicial decision-making as the country moves toward membership.

Gonzato concluded that as Albania progresses toward EU accession, the integration of EU law into judicial decision-making is essential and that, together with the EU4Justice project, the EU will continue to provide its support.