Speaking on Wednesday at the presentation of proposed amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code, Prime Minister Edi Rama discussed justice reform and its development over the past decade, acknowledging that, alongside its results, weaknesses, failures and distortions have emerged.
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The prime minister said that despite the problems identified, the reform had been worth it.
“Today, after 10 years, we have seen, heard and learned a great deal. We have seen the strength of the reform, but also the weaknesses that emerged when it confronted reality.
“We have also seen failures and distortions that cannot be hidden behind the results. Despite every difficulty, it has been worth the effort.
“One sentence sums it up: 10 years have brought down the century-old cult of impunity.
“Ten years ago, we handed the judiciary the sword of punishment, which for 100 years had been in the hands of politicians. Today we want to take another step. We want to bring more balance to the scales of justice, so that the judiciary does not place itself above justice, but justice becomes the force that ensures everyone is equal before the law,” Rama said.
The prime minister said that in Albania, the scales of justice tip clearly toward the state’s repressive power.
“Following the adoption of the Criminal Procedure Code and the changes to the justice system, this is the first measure to address the presumption of innocence in criminal proceedings. This means that, while until now we have strengthened the side of the scales bearing the weight of state power over the individual, with this package we give due weight to the side bearing the individual’s rights against the state. In Albania, the scales of justice tip clearly toward the state’s repressive power. Even today, if you ask an AI model which country carries the heaviest burden of pretrial detention among the systems of the European continent, the bitter answer is: Albania.”
