The OSCE said the talks focused on the potential impact of those developments on the functioning of the justice system, individual rights and fair-trial standards.

The meeting also highlighted the importance of meaningful involvement by all stakeholders, including justice institutions and other actors in the system, in issues that could affect the functioning of justice, the rule of law and public confidence.

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In a press conference, Gogu stated that the decisions of the Constitutional Court “are not negotiated” and “are not relativized”, underlining that every institution is obliged to implement them.

He added that accountability for the use of public money and the implementation of the decision of the Constitutional Court are not two principles that contradict each other.

“Public money is the citizens’ money, not the government’s. Every penny of the state budget must have legal authorization to be spent. Accountability to the budget and implementation of the Constitutional Court’s decision are not oppose to each other. On the contrary, they require the same thing: clear legal authorization to implement it,” he said.

Gogu explained that the argue is not related to a debate about who demands more or who gives less, but to the lack of a legal basis for the magistrates’ salary formula after the Constitutional Court’s decision.

“We must say it bluntly: we have arrived here because we lack a legal basis for the magistrates’ salary formula, which the Constitutional Court abolished. This gap must be filled where it belongs: in the Assembly, by law,” the minister said.

He announced that the issue is expected to be addressed at the start of the new Parliamentary session, describing filling the legal gap as the way to end the dispute.

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During a press conference, when asked about the debate between Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Judges Association on judges’ salaries, Berisha said that building the salary pyramid is an exclusive competence of the government and a process with high state responsibility.

According to Berisha, today the salary ratio in the justice system is distorted. Berisha stated that the judges’ demands are fair and based on the Constitution.

“I have made the issue crystal clear; the salaries and the salary pyramid are an absolute exclusive right for the entire state and its executive institutions, except for public enterprises, which operate with a different mechanism. Building the salary pyramid is a very responsible and extremely important task. The salary pyramid, reflects the advantages that the nation has on the path of development.”

“Every judge today has the right not to accept the existing pyramid. The issue here is not the levels. The reason is that a certain prosecutor in the special prosecution office is paid a salary twice as high as the constitutional court judge. The state is obliged to adhere to the hierarchy. And this hierarchy determines the highest salary in the Republic of Albania, that of the President of the Republic.

“The pyramid has been overturned and it has been overturned solely to pay a group of mercenaries for political purposes,” said Berisha.

He said that PM Rama himself voted for the legal changes that, according to him, have overturned the salary pyramid.

“He has overturned the pyramid. He is the main responsible person. The salary pyramid is not an issue to play with,” said Berisha.

Berisha said that the government has overturned the state hierarchy for political interests. /m.q/a.f/r.e/p.s./

Speaking amid an ongoing public debate, Rama dismissed allegations that the Council of Ministers deliberately removed a salary reference by abolishing the post of director-general within the Prime Minister’s office, calling the claim unfounded.

Rama said judges must substantiate claims of pay cuts or financial disadvantage with concrete documentation, arguing that assertions without proof were unacceptable.

He said Albanian judges’ salaries are in line with those of their counterparts in Greece and that demands for further increases of 2,000-3,000 euros per month were unjustified.

Rama also criticised judges’ associations for making public political-style statements, saying magistrates were not political actors and should not engage in public rhetoric accusing the government of unconstitutional conduct.

The Premier said the government remains the guarantor of judicial independence, adding that reforms in recent years have significantly strengthened judges’ professional and personal independence.

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The amendments to the law on judges and prosecutors aim to strengthen the independence, impartiality and accountability of magistrates, with the goal of building an independent, professional, credible and citizen-centered justice system.

The draft was prepared in line with European Commission recommendations for Albania for 2021–2025 and the Rule of Law Roadmap, and seeks to meet interim benchmarks under EU accession Chapter 23: Judiciary and Fundamental Rights.

The proposed changes address shortcomings identified in the enforcement of the current law, including the lack of permanent leadership in courts and prosecutor’s offices, limited transparency in council decision-making and the need to reinforce integrity checks for magistrate candidates.

Under a transitional provision, current heads of courts and prosecutor’s offices would remain in office until Dec. 31, 2028, provided they pass the vetting process and receive a positive performance evaluation.

Changes are also proposed to the secondment of magistrates to the High Inspectorate of Justice, extending the maximum secondment period to 15 years and recognising such experience as added value for career advancement.

Separately, amendments to the law on the governance bodies of the justice system seek to address legal ambiguities and regulatory gaps identified during the justice reform, with the aim of improving effectiveness, transparency and integrity.

The draft law, comprising 38 articles, requires non-magistrate members of both the HCJ and HPC to undergo enhanced screening procedures similar to the vetting process applied to magistrates, in order to ensure parity and institutional integrity.

The same framework would apply to candidates from academia and civil society, with designated institutions responsible for collecting documentation and conducting in-depth checks.

The legal changes aim to raise credibility, transparency and integrity standards for all non-magistrate members of the justice system’s governing bodies.

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Through a post on the social network X, Rama described the process as an “ugly farce”, emphasizing that this issue, according to him, risks breaking the state salary pyramid and violating the constitutional powers of the government and the Parliament in salary policy.

“Today, the Constitutional Court is staging (unfortunately, without live broadcast for technical reasons) the ugliest imaginable farce, which has been imposed on it by two associations of judges, who want to increase their salaries by court, breaking the state salary pyramid, while they are the highest paid category in Albania, as a result of the support that this governing majority gave to the judiciary for the sake of the Justice Reform!” Rama wrote.

The prime minister emphasized that the judges want Albania to be forever the only country in the world where judges are paid more than anyone else by taking over the constitutional powers of the government and the Parliament for salary policy.

“Now, they are seeking automatic salary increase whenever other salaries increase. This means Albania will be forever the only country in the world where judges are paid more than anyone else by taking over the constitutional powers of the government and the Parliament for salary policy – ​​this is a logical, moral, legal and constitutional scandal, which I hope the Constitutional Court will never allow to turn into a national shame”, emphasized Rama.

The prime minister praised the Special Prosecution Office for not joining this initiative.

“SPAK upheld its dignity for not joining this nonsense in the name of the independence of the judiciary”, concluded Rama. /gj.m/j.p/p.s./

In a social-media statement, the government head said the request was made by magistrates and regular legal advisers, while the Special Court Against Corruption and Organised Crime (GJKKO) judges and SPAK prosecutors were seeking a larger increase of EUR 3,100. According to him, those officials aim to bring their monthly pay to EUR 9,230.

“Among those seeking higher wages are the ‘specials’ – GJKKO and SPAK – who already have the highest salaries in the country but want another EUR 3,100,” Rama wrote on social media.

He published a longer statement accusing the judiciary of overstepping its authority and warning of what he called a risk to the balance of powers.

“It is entirely possible to take thousands of euros from the state budget with a court decision when you can already change a government with a court ruling, assuming the powers of the Prime Minister, the President and parliament without ever having received a single vote,” he wrote.

Rama said his concern was not over individual officials but over what he described as a broader threat to the separation of powers.

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Speaking to reporters after appearing at the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution Structure (SPAK) as part of a court order that requires him to check in with prosecutors, Democratic Party leader also commented on the ongoing process to select the next special prosecutor. Berisha said he has no favourite but will support any candidate “who has no ties to crime.”

Berisha insisted that his past objections to former SPAK chief Arben Kraja and current head Altin Dumani were “not political attacks but the publication of facts”. He said the justice system includes many honest professionals, but argued that “some senior figures disgrace the system by protecting crime”.

The former prime minister accused SPAK chief Dumani and judge Irena Gjoka of forming “the most discredited duo in the justice system,” alleging that Gjoka falsified disclosures in her vetting, decriminalisation and asset-declaration forms.

He claimed that SPAK has kept the investigation into Gjoka “in a drawer” for 18 months and accused Dumani of opening a “fictitious preliminary inquiry” to shield her from dismissal. Berisha also accused the High Judicial Council (KLGJ) of breaching legal deadlines in reviewing Gjoka’s mandate, calling the situation an “institutional disgrace” and again demanding her immediate removal from the judiciary.

Berisha said several key cases are pending before the Constitutional Court – including those involving Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku and his own case scheduled for 17 December. He said he had previously made political decisions against these officials and announced that later today he would file a new complaint over what he described as an “international scandal” involving the government.

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At the meeting of judges, which was called after the murder of Judge Astrit Kalaja at the Court of Appeal three days ago, Sadushi said that this act has shocked not only the judiciary, but also the state, because it happened where the law should be strongest, in the courtroom, the place where justice takes shape and where citizens seek protection.

In the meantime, the High Judicial Council (HJC) has been reluctant to make strong decisions on safety and protection of judges, said Sadushi.

“The tragic event that has brought us together today is precisely the most extreme consequence of this poisoned atmosphere, an event that should have been prevented, because it was foreshadowed in every insult, in every irresponsible statement, in every public attack on a judge who is only doing his duty. But before pointing the finger at the others, we must start with ourselves. We must honestly admit that Albanian justice is not yet up to the mark that society expects of it. We must say it openly: the delays, unnecessary procedural delays and failure to respect legal deadlines are visible wounds that damage public trust. There are cases where processes drag on for years, without a justified reason, turning the citizen’s expectation of justice into a punishment in itself”, stressed Sadushi.

The head of the Supreme Court stated that, “There are decisions that remain unjustified over time and others that vary from one court to another, creating uncertainty and a perception of a lack of coherence and justice”.

“A judiciary that is not predictable in its jurisprudence loses the force of law and the respect of the public. When the citizen is not sure what justice he will receive for the same situation, then the entire structure of trust is shaken. Also, the way we communicate with the public is often closed, cold, incomprehensible to the citizen”, said Sadushi.

According to him, every judicial decision is not simply a legal document, but a message to society about the strength and seriousness of the rule of law.

Sadushi emphasized that there can be no rule of law when the judge works without security.

Sadushi concluded by saying that,  “No act of violence will bend justice. No threat will stop a judge from performing his duty honestly. No political or public pressure will violate the independence of the judiciary. This is our moral and professional commitment. This is our mission before the citizens and before history”. /k.s/j.p/p.s./

At the end of the trial in the consulting room, the panel of the Special Appellate College composed by Ina Rama as presiding judge, Sokol Çomo as rapporteur, Albana Shtylla, Natasha Mulaj, and Rezarta Schuetz as members, unanimously decided to uphold the decision of the commission for Taulant Tafa and Izabela Radovani.

This decision is final and enters into force immediately.

The vetting panel of the Independent Qualifications Commission dismissed judge Taulant Tafa on April 24, 2023. While on April 14, 2023, the commission dismissed the judge of Shkodra Court Izabela Radovani. /k.s/j.p/p.s./