TIRANA, October 20 /ATA/ President Bajram Begaj attended the international conference “Role of Constitutional Courts in New Democracies”, organized on occasion of the 30th anniversary of establishment of the Constitutional Court of Albania.
During the speech he addressed to the conference, Begaj appreciated that the Constitutional Court is a cornerstone for building the rule of law and guaranteeing basic human rights and freedoms.
“Since 1992, the Constitutional Court has been confirmed as a balanced and determined institution in the journey towards attaining the best standards. Legal changes in the course of these 30 years have put the Constitutional Court in front of various challenges, affecting aspects of organization, competences and normal functioning”, said the president.
According to him, “The judicial reform, strongly supported by our European and American partners, has brought positive developments for the Constitutional Court and access to constitutional justice”.
“The regulations in the way of choosing and appointing judges of the Court have enabled a selection based on professional merit and separation from political influence”, he said.
Begaj stressed that, “Transparency remains essential to maintain public trust in the Constitutional Court and to ensure an easy and quality access of citizens to justice”.
“Independence and impartiality require appropriate financial support and budget autonomy, to enable functionality, self-regulatory ability and not to allow any encroachment by any branch of power,” said the president./p.s./
