“On the dispute over the law on magistrates’ salaries, it is the Constitutional Court that will make the final decision. The Constitution is not negotiable,” Sadushi said at the General Assembly of Judges of the Republic.

He said institutional dialogue was necessary but had to respect the constitutional powers of the respective institutions.

“As long as the law and the constitutional claims raised against it are under review by the Constitutional Court, the legal foundation of this dispute cannot be negotiated at another forum,” he said.

Sadushi also called for a broader institutional discussion on the functioning of the justice system, beyond the issue of pay. He said priorities should include filling vacant positions, ensuring sufficient numbers of judges and prosecutors, reducing case backlogs and delays, and addressing needs related to staffing, technology, infrastructure and security.

He also referred to the killing of Judge Astrit Kalaja in a courtroom, saying judicial security remained a responsibility of the state.

“Security, like human resources, infrastructure, technology and funding, is not a demand for the comfort of judges. It is part of the conditions that the state must guarantee for justice to function,” he said.

Sadushi also called for an assessment of the performance of the High Judicial Council, saying that eight years after the establishment of the justice governance bodies, they should be judged not only by their creation but also by how they function and the results they deliver.

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