TIRANA, Sept 24 /ATA/ Minister of Justice Toni Gogu announced that, on 30 September, the most comprehensive package of amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure since its adoption will be presented jointly with the Council of Europe.
The amendments follow a Council of Europe study on pre-trial detention in Albania and come after ten years of justice reform, at a stage when there is a need to assess the effective implementation of procedural safeguards and the standards established through jurisprudence.
“This is a very substantial body of amendments. We now have a unifying decision of the High Court, as well as a sufficiently developed body of constitutional case law. It is therefore important that, in cooperation with the Council of Europe, we review the framework governing the imposition of security measures,” Gogu stated.
The review will cover security measures, the rights of the parties during the investigation and trial stages, evidence and its administration, the preliminary hearing, the presumption of innocence, the publicity of court hearings, and the protection of personal data.
According to Gogu, the objective is to ensure that strengthening the rule of law goes hand in hand with reinforcing the procedural safeguards afforded to individuals.
“The rule of law must continue to be strengthened, while at the same time ensuring stronger procedural safeguards for individuals. This is the European standard: strengthening the rule of law while also enhancing the safeguards granted to individuals,” the Minister stressed.
On 30 September, the amendments will be discussed at a roundtable bringing together heads of justice institutions, representatives of the courts, prosecutors and lawyers, civil society, the media, and international partners.
The process aims to ensure that standards established through case law and the recommendations of the Council of Europe are reflected in a clearer procedural framework, while maintaining a balance between the effectiveness of criminal justice and the protection of individual rights.
/m.q/j.p/sm/
