TIRANA, Oct 6 /ATA/ Justice Minister Toni Gogu said today that, once ratified, the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer would require its standards to be reflected across Albania’s legal framework, including laws, secondary legislation and rules adopted by independent justice institutions.
During the review of the ratification bill, Democratic Party MP Arjan Ndoja questioned whether the Special Court against Corruption and Organised Crime (GJKKO) regulation governing lawyers’ conduct was consistent with the Convention’s standards.
Gogu said that, following ratification, each institution would have to review its legal and regulatory acts to ensure their compliance with the obligations arising from the Convention.
He explained that the GJKKO’s internal regulation is adopted by the court itself, while the court’s functioning falls within the oversight framework of the High Judicial Council. The Ministry of Justice, meanwhile, will be responsible for informing the relevant institutions of the obligations assumed by the Albanian state under the Convention.
“With the ratification of the Convention, its standards will have to be incorporated into the laws and secondary legislation adopted by the Ministry of Justice and the independent justice institutions,” Gogu said.
Ndoja also raised the issue of the Chamber of Advocates’ boycott of court proceedings, warning that the suspension of hearings could affect pre-trial detention deadlines and defendants’ rights.
Gogu said the Ministry of Justice was ready to sit down with the parties if it was considered the appropriate institution to help resolve the issue, but stressed that the ministry could not go beyond the powers granted to it by the Constitution and the law.
During the discussion, Democratic Party MP Saimir Korreshi said lawyers should be afforded the same standards of dignity and treatment as other members of the justice system.
He also raised concerns about the functioning of the Chamber of Advocates and proposed term limits for its leadership.
Korreshi also called for changes to divorce procedures, proposing that the court-mandated reconciliation stage be abolished.
Minister Gogu welcomed the discussion, saying the concerns raised reflected practical difficulties lawyers face in exercising their profession, particularly in accessing court proceedings, providing legal representation and gaining access during investigations..
He stressed that the Convention seeks to establish principles for protecting the role of lawyers and provides for international monitoring through the GRAVO mechanism.
At the end of the discussion, Gogu backed a proposal to hold a hearing with stakeholders to address more broadly the issues raised concerning the legal profession.
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