FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The development of the vetting process in the justice system in Kosovo, initiated by the Government led by Albin Kurti at the beginning of its mandate, continues to be in the initial phase.
The process of re-evaluating the figure of prosecutors and judges is aimed at their professional growth, fighting corruption and stopping the influence of politics or other illegal elements in the administration of justice.
In its four-year program, the Kurti Government has promised to complete the necessary legal framework for the realization of the vetting process. The preparation of the legal basis, the Kosovar executive started in 2021 - on October 13, the concept of the document for vetting in justice was approved.
The Venice Commission also evaluated this concept document.
The advisory body of the Council of Europe concluded that in the context of Kosovo, an effective vetting would require the combination of different measures, which would have a positive effect on the integrity and efficiency of the justice system.
The commission initially recommended the verification of high levels in the judiciary and the prosecutor's office.
After accepting the opinion of the Venice Commission, which paves the way for vetting in justice, this process by the institutions of Kosovo started in two directions: the vetting for the high levels, as well as the legal reform - or the vetting of regular – for all judges and prosecutors.
An ad-hoc commission of the Assembly of Kosovo, supported by the Ministry of Justice, completed the drafting of constitutional amendments for the vetting for the higher levels.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Glauk Konjufca, at the beginning of March of this year, sent the amendments for evaluation to the Constitutional Court, with the request to clarify whether the proposed changes were in accordance with chapter 2 of the Constitution of Kosovo.
Although more than 5 months have passed since the amendments were sent to the Constitutional Court, the Ministry of Justice says that they have not received any notification from the Court about their review.
But, in a written response sent to Radio Free Europe, the Constitutional Court says that it is examining the request and that all interested parties and opinion will be notified in time of its decision.
According to the Law on the Constitutional Court, this court must, in principle, give an assessment within six months of receiving the request.
As for the legal reform for regular vetting for all judges and prosecutors, the Ministry of Justice says for REL that the working groups have sent their final reports and recommendations in May.
"In the second phase of this process, the necessary legal interventions and changes are expected to be made, which are related to strengthening the existing mechanisms for checking the integrity of judges and prosecutors, evaluating their performance, strengthening the mechanisms for declaring wealth and that of discipline and other actions, which derive from joint commitments", says Genc Nimani, senior advisor to the Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu.
Instituti i Kosovës për Drejtësi e ka përsëritur në mënyrë të vazhdueshme, që nga viti 2015, rëndësinë e procesit të vetting-ut.
Drejtori ekzekutiv i organizatës, Ehat Miftaraj, thotë për REL-in se vetting-u është mundësi dhe rrugë e domosdoshme për të pastruar sistemin gjyqësor dhe prokurorin, nga zyrtarë që, siç pohon ai, “nuk e meritojnë të jenë pjesë e këtij sistemi, për shkak të mungesës së integritetit të tyre”.
Sipas tij, “përderisa vetë Qeveria ka pasur vonesa në adresimin e kësaj çështjeje, për arsye të keqplanifikimit dhe keqadministrimit, është lajm i mirë që më në fund amendamentet kushtetuese kanë shkuar për vlerësim në Gjykatën Kushtetuese”.
Miftaraj vlerëson se “është e rëndësishme që Gjykata Kushtetuese ta trajtojë këtë çështje brenda një afati të arsyeshëm kohor, duke marrë për bazë rëndësinë që ka ky proces për sundimin e ligjit në Kosovë”.
Në mbledhjen e fundit të Qeverisë së Kosovës, të mbajtur më 9 gusht, kryeministri Kurti, derisa po fliste për sistem joefikas të drejtësisë, ritheksoi nevojën që procesi i vetting-ut të fillojë sa më parë.
Ai tha se reforma është domosdoshmëri, ndërsa vetting-u, sipas tij, është zgjidhja.
Kurti kërkoi nga Gjykata Kushtetuese që t’i hapë sa më shpejt rrugë jetësimit të kësaj reforme.
“Koha po kalon. Koha që kalon është kohë e humbur”, u shpreh kryeministri kosovar.
Referring to the statistics of the judiciary, according to which the Court of Appeal has returned 1,754 cases to retrial in 2022, the chief executive said that this burdens the justice system, suffocates it and delays justice.
According to the report of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Public Pulse, published this year, only 29 percent of citizens are satisfied with the work of the system of justice in Kosovo./ REL
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