TIRANA, Oct 5 /ATA/ Minister of Justice Toni Gogu on Monday attended the opening ceremony of the 2026–2027 academic year at the School of Magistrates, where he addressed newly admitted candidates for judges, prosecutors and other legal professions.
“Ten years ago, the challenge was to build the architecture of a new justice system. Today, the challenge is to turn that architecture into an institutional culture,” Gogu said.
According to him, this culture is measured by the system’s day-to-day work and by how citizens experience justice.
“Citizens do not read institutional culture in reports. They feel it when a decision is delivered on time. They understand it when they are clearly told why they won or why they lost,” he said.
The minister stressed that the rule of law does not require institutions to always be in agreement, but rather to know how to disagree constructively.
“Through reasoned arguments. In the appropriate forum. Without personal attacks. The greater the power we exercise, the greater the restraint we must show,” he said.
For the Ministry of Justice, he said, this means refraining from commenting on ongoing court cases, not addressing judges through the media, and creating the conditions for judicial independence without placing conditions on it.
“Independence is not protected solely through constitutional provisions. It requires security in the courtroom, a sufficient number of magistrates, a functioning administration, and adequate technology and infrastructure,” he said.
Addressing the candidates, Gogu stressed that justice must be accessible and understandable to citizens, while the standards established by the reform should become embedded in everyday professional practice.
“For you, it may be just one case among many. For that person, it may be one of the most important events of their life,” he said.
The ceremony was attended by President of the Republic Bajram Begaj; Arben Rakipi, Director of the School of Magistrates; the heads of the High Judicial Council and the High Prosecutorial Council; Deputy Prosecutor General Arqilea Koca; as well as representatives of the European Union, the OSCE and the Council of Europe.
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