TIRANA, Sept. 10 /ATA/ – Albania’s judges on Thursday demanded the immediate release of their salaries and those of court staff, warning that judicial activity could be restricted if a Constitutional Court ruling on pay is not implemented.
The demand followed an extraordinary General Assembly of Judges convened over the blocking of salaries for judges and judicial administration staff.
In a joint statement, the judges called on the Finance Ministry and institutions under its authority to immediately process the payrolls, saying legal obligations to judges and court staff could not be withheld.
They said the Constitutional Court ruling and decisions by the High Judicial Council had established the legal parameters for judicial salaries and should be fully implemented.
The judges also called for the immediate payment of salary arrears, saying this was a constitutional obligation that should not be made conditional on the adoption of new legislation.
They called for the prompt adoption of a new legal framework on judicial pay in line with the Constitutional Court ruling and constitutional guarantees protecting the status of magistrates, with genuine consultation with the bodies governing the justice system.
The judges said they would reject any legal proposal that failed to safeguard their salaries and other lawful benefits within the parameters established by the Constitutional Court and High Judicial Council.
They also demanded an end to administrative practices that, they said, hindered the financial operation of courts or created recurring uncertainty over the salaries of judges and judicial staff.
The statement said judges would use all available administrative, civil and constitutional legal remedies to secure payment of their salaries.
“If the responsible institutions do not act immediately to implement the Constitutional Court ruling and release the salaries, measures undertaken by the judiciary will be escalated, including the temporary reduction and restriction of judicial activity to urgent cases requiring immediate judicial intervention,” the statement said.
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