During a joint press conference with Minister of Internal Affairs Albana Koçiu and Minister of Justice Besfort Lamallari, Prime Minister Rama spoke about some amendments to the law “On the control and discipline of construction works”.

Rama emphasized that some of these measures are now binding and are made into official regulation, while others will be put out for public consultation as they are measures related to the Criminal Code.

“These measures are related to the necessity of pursuing at another level the effort to put an end once and for all to illegal interventions of all kinds in the country’s territory”, said Rama.

According to him, this is a 360-degree approach that extends to all directions identified as problematic.

Rama emphasized that this process will yield significant results as it creates the conditions for further discipline of the entire construction process, not only regarding unauthorized construction, but also construction with permission, which usually becomes the cause of embarrassing situations.

“People pay to buy a house and then encounter all kinds of obstacles, including the inability to register their houses as real estate or the inability to enter the house, like it has happened in some cases due to conflicts between builders or others of this nature,” Rama added. /p.s./

Speaking during a direct communication in the social media, the prime minister responded to all those commentators who found an excuse for the collapse of an illegal building built by the sea in Vlora saying that the state officials allowed its construction.

“So, the state is to blame for the construction of a building by the sea with all that volume of concrete, and whoever did allow this is treated as a totally innocent”, Rama added.

The prime minister emphasized that without a doubt, in the case of such constructions, there is a great responsibility of the relevant structures, but the next question that arises is: Is this relevant responsibility sufficient not to intervene and not to restore the law where it has been violated?

“Precisely for this reason, we have determined in the new package of measures that we will soon approve, that all those inspectors, police officers and so on who have a responsibility to keep their eyes open, will be held responsible in event that violations of this nature are found like is the case of this scandalous building built without any permission at all on the seafront in the municipality of Vlora”, emphasized Rama. /p.s./

10,438 citizens have benefited free legal aid since 2019 to September 2024.

So far, the Ministry of Justice and UNDP have supported the opening and uninterrupted functioning of 12 centers.

The centers operate in the districts of Shkodra, Peshkopi, Lezha, Durrës, Vlora, Fier, Pogradec, Korça, Berat, Elbasan, Kukës and Gjirokastra and provide free legal services to all people in need.

These centers are specialized units for providing primary legal aid to categories that have insufficient income or that belong to a specific stratum in need.

The main categories that have benefited from free legal aid are people with insufficient or no income, the elderly/pensioners, people with disabilities, members of the Roma and Egyptian communities, victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence.

Since before the law entered into force, in June 2018, facilitating access to justice for individuals in need has been government priority. /r.e/p.s./

Manja emphasized that this service is offered throughout Albania for all those who need free legal assistance or a free of charge lawyer for court proceedings.

The citizens have to appear at the 20 primary legal aid service centers (in Tirana, Lushnja, Durrës, Lezha, Pogradec, Vlora, Dibër, Kukës, Korça, Berat, Elbasan, Shkodra, Tropoja, Përmet, Puka, Mat, Kavaja, Kurbin , Gjirokastra and Fier).

The citizens without sufficient income and assets benefit from this assistance. Also, this free assistance is provided to the victims of domestic violence, sexually abused victims, victims of human trafficking, minor victims, children who live in institutions of social care, the persons benefiting from disability payment, persons benefiting from status of the blind, persons who are beneficiaries of social protection schemes, etc.

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Legal service assistance include counseling, legal guidance for those facing discrimination, support to victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence, support to persons with disabilities, members of the Roma and Egyptian community, provision of legal advice on pension issues , properties, and more.

Currently, the free legal assistance service is offered by lawyers at the premises of the municipalities or in the District Court, in 12 regions of the country.

The Access to Justice Project – Expanding Free Legal Aid Services to Women and Men in Albania (EFLAS) is implemented by the Ministry of Justice and UNDP with the financial support of the Austrian Development Cooperation. /gj.m/r.e/p.s./

The minister discussed with the athletes issues of interest for development of sports and improvement of conditions for the athletes, so that to guarantee all athletes have a good future here, in our country.

“Athletes are our best ambassadors in representing Albania everywhere in the world. Therefore, in the meeting with some of the young athletes, I expressed my personal and institutional support for sports in general and for young people like them in particular, as they are the future of the elite of the Albanian sport “, – said Minister Kushi.

Kushi underlined that it is very important to hear not only their successes, but also the daily difficulties and challenges they face, in order to improve the joint work for the development of sports in our country.

“We chose not by chance the Olympic Center” Tirana Olympic Park “as a very important investment of the Albanian Government, with the best standards, in full service of young talents,” said Kushi.

The support for young athletes is already reflected even in the proposed legal changes. The criteria, and the way of rewarding and treating the athletes, who benefit the high level status, and their coaches have already been defined for them.

The reward will be provided after the announcement of the final official results by the international federation of the respective sport./k.s/p.s./

Minister of Justice Etilda Gjonaj made the statement today saying that one of the objectives of the Ministry of Justice and the innovation brought directly by the Justice Reform is the provision of free legal aid.

“During these years, over 90% coverage has been achieved throughout the territory of the Republic of Albania with centers for providing free legal aid, close cooperation with local authorities; 10 law clinics at state and private universities provide services, 12 agreements with NGOs are in implementation; 10 Legal Aid Centers are operational; 29 agreements with the Courts in Albania for increased access of citizens are in implementation “, – said Gjonaj. /k.s/r.e/j.p/p.s./

Deputy Minister of Justice Klajd Karameta conducted an inspection and stressed the importance of the quality service provided and capacity building through the development of initial and ongoing training for all service providers.

“I also encourage all citizens seeking legal advice, to contact Legal Aid Centers in the districts and to send their questions at any time to www.juristionline.al or call free number 0800 1010 “, said Gjonaj./p.s./

Kraja said that these legal changes proposed by the Ministry of Justice are necessary to increase efficiency of the work of SPAK.

He said that in one year of work, the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution has investigated over 500 files; it has issued sentences for 30 or 40 defendants by the court, forfeiture decisions that go up to 300 thousand square meters of land returned to the state or up to 5 million Euros returned to the state in administration.

“There is a legal initiative drafted in the Ministry of Justice initially and that has had extensive consultations and then passed to the Assembly for approval. We have been involved in consultations, especially in the legal part related to the SPAK and some changes in the Criminal Code and criminal procedure that are directly related to the work of the SPAK “, said Kraja.

Regarding the “big fish”, Kraja said that this concept does not exist in justice, but guaranteed no impunity for every person who breaks the law./j.p/r.e/p.s./

Justice Minister Etilda Gjonaj inspected on Thursday morning the General Directorate of Free Legal Aid.

During the inspection, Gjonaj was acquainted with the activity of this institution that was created in context of the Justice Reform.

“I inspected the General Directorate of Free Legal Aid in Tirana to analyze the activity of this institution that was created as a direct result of the Justice Reform,” said Gjonaj.

“Our goal is materialized in some key objectives that are currently being pursued by the Ministry of Justice and the Directorate of Free Legal Aid, such as: The extension of primary and secondary legal aid service providers throughout the territory of the Republic of Albania.

Supervising the quality of the service provided and strengthening the capacities through the development of initial and continuous trainings for all service providers “, – explained the Head of the Ministry of Justice./p.s./