TIRANA, Oct. 3 /ATA/ – The Ministry of Justice has opened for public consultation a package of amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure, placing particular emphasis on pre-trial detention, alternatives to imprisonment, procedural safeguards and the protection of individual rights.
Justice Minister Toni Gogu on Saturday published data from the General Directorate of Prisons highlighting the number of detainees currently held in Albania’s penitentiary system.
According to Gogu, the figures underscore the need to reassess the use of detention measures and ensure greater proportionality in criminal proceedings.
“Pre-trial detention should be used only when necessary and proportionate, while alternative measures must function effectively in practice,” he said.
Data released by the General Directorate of Prisons show that 2,348 of the 4,335 individuals currently in the penitentiary system are being held in pre-trial detention, accounting for 54.2% of the total prison population.
Among those in pre-trial detention are 2,304 men, 31 women and 13 juveniles.
The proposed reform package introduces significant changes concerning detention measures, the right to defence, judicial oversight, privacy and data protection, the presumption of innocence, and victims’ rights.
The draft amendments were prepared by a team of 19 academics and judicial experts from Italy, France and the Netherlands, working alongside specialists from the Council of Europe, with support from the Italian and French justice ministries. The Albanian technical secretariat coordinated the drafting process.
According to the Ministry of Justice, the reform process was monitored by the Council of Europe, which reviewed and certified both the drafting stages and the final text of the proposed amendments.
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