FLASH
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The Supreme Court and the Supreme Court clash over who has the right to speak on behalf of judges...
Instead of speaking with one voice after the macabre murder of Judge Astrit Kalaja, the highest institutions of the judicial system are publicly clashing over protagonism and institutional role. An unprecedented conflict between the High Judicial Council (HJC) and the Supreme Court has erupted at a moment when public opinion is demanding responsibility, reaction and urgent reform in the justice system.
It all started with the call for an extraordinary meeting of all judges in the country by the head of the Supreme Court, Sokol Sadushi, which will be held on October 9 at the premises of the Supreme Court itself. According to an official announcement published by the Supreme Court, “the painful event has highlighted the fragile state of security, but also the importance of the respect that must accompany the judicial function”. The statement states that “after the agreement expressed by all judges of the Supreme Court”, Sadushi has been authorized to call the meeting, where a unique and solemn position is expected to be articulated: “No act of violence will bend justice. No threat will stop a judge from performing his duty honestly.”
But the immediate reaction of the Supreme Court of Justice added fuel to the fire. In an official communication, the head of the Council, Ilir Rusi, accused the Supreme Court of acting unilaterally and bypassing the institution that the Constitution charges with administering the judicial power. “We express our regret that the Supreme Court of Justice has remained uninvolved in dealing with such important issues,” Rusi wrote, describing Sadushi’s action as an “uncoordinated and not at all joint approach.”
In an attempt to calm the situation, Sadushi reacted again through a letter addressed to the judges and the members of the Supreme Judicial Council. He stated that “the meeting was not intended to avoid or bypass the Council”, but rather it was an internal meeting of reflection and awareness of the heads of the courts, to share the pain and to express an institutional position in honor of the late judge Astrit Kalaja. Sadushi emphasized that “the Supreme Judicial Council is invited” and that “cooperation is essential to guarantee that the security, dignity and independence of judges remain inviolable”.
But behind these official letters and institutional-sounding communications, a more bitter reality is hidden: the lack of unity among the justice system. Instead of responding to a criminal act with a unified stance, Albania's judges find themselves in the middle of a clash over competences, initiatives, and institutional role.
The murder of Judge Kalaja inside the courtroom has exposed not only the extreme weakness of security measures in the courts, but also a deep rift within the system itself. As stated by the Supreme Court, this meeting on October 9 aims to demonstrate that “the judges of the Republic will stand united, with courage and determination, to protect not only their lives and dignity, but also the very right of citizens to impartial and independent justice.”
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