TIRANA, July 28 /ATA/ – Sali Berisha, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), has sharply criticized recent government-proposed amendments to the Criminal Code, claiming that the changes were introduced without any public consultation.
In a press statement on Monday, DP leader warned that the frequent legal changes are undermining the stability of the country’s judicial system, creating an environment of uncertainty.
“Legal stability is the fundamental condition for juridical certainty, which represents the most qualitative dimension of the rule of law,” Berisha stressed.
He accused the government of “constantly overturning laws and dragging the entire legal system into an atmosphere of insecurity.”
Berisha cited the Criminal Code’s history, noting: “This is the third Criminal Code in 30 years. The first was adopted in 1995, followed by the 2014 code drafted with the assistance from Euralius, which remains in force today. Yet, before even 10 years have passed, a new Code emerges – secretly and without consultation – as if it were pulled out of the mafia’s caves.”
He argued that penal codes should evolve gradually, through new crimes and case law, but changing the code every decade reflects “powerful vested interests compelling such drastic action.”
Berisha also criticized proposals to allow conditional release for prisoners serving life sentences.
“The Code now offers serial killers a second chance, while democracies worldwide impose life imprisonment or the death penalty. If citizens were asked today, they would support reinstating capital punishment,” he said, asserting that “the new Criminal Code represents the full legal infrastructure of the narco-state.”
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