TIRANA, July 27/ATA/ Albania’s Justice Minister Etilda Gjonaj described the Prisoner Transfer Agreement signed yesterday with Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a qualitative step forward in the field of judicial cooperation.
The new agreement brings closer the two legal systems aiming at accelerating, simplifying and improving the conditions and rules for the transfer of prisoners, also in order to facilitate their social reintegration.
The judicial cooperation relations of the Republic of Albania with the United Kingdom regarding the transfer of prisoners are regulated by the agreement on the transfer of prisoners which was ratified by the Assembly in 2013.
During her visit, Minister Gjonaj met with her counterpart, Home Office and Justice Minister Chris Philp, who during the discussions noted that this agreement is a good instrument that guarantees Albanian citizens the opportunity to request the transfer of sentence to the Republic of Albania, which would allow for more frequent contact with their family members, and consequently helps in their fast reintegration in the country of origin.
On the other hand, Minister Gjonaj noted that Albania has undertaken a profound judicial reform, which is already being accompanied by a profound reform of the penitentiary system. In the framework of the reform of the penitentiary system, in addition to improving the legislation in this field, the Ministry of Justice also aims to improve the conditions of treatment of the prisoners.
Gjonaj also met with Alex Chalk, Under Secretary of State in the Ministry of Justice, and discussed on the possibility of support from the British side through the reconstruction or construction of a new prison which could improve the conditions of the Albanian prisoners and reduce the number of crowds in Albanian prisons.
Minister Gjonaj also met with Lord David Wolfson, minister in the Ministry of Justice, with whom they agreed to deepen inter-judicial cooperation and to exchange and cooperate in the field of digitalization of the judiciary.
Minister Gjonaj thanked the three ministers for their support so far in the reform of the penitentiary system./k.s/p.s./
