Gazment Bardhi strongly opposes initiative on magistrates’ salaries: He called it unconstitutional, saying “this is not about charity

The majority’s proposal on the financial treatment of magistrates has been described as unconstitutional by Gazment Bardhi, head of the Democratic Party’s parliamentary group.

He warned that the initiative would once again send the law to the Constitutional Court, where, he said, its fate would be the same as last time: it would be struck down.

In a statement made during a meeting of the Committee on Human Rights, Bardhi stressed that the proposal not only fails to reflect the Court’s previous decision, but is acting in complete contradiction to it.

“This initiative openly violates the Constitutional Court’s decision by doing precisely the opposite of what is required,” he said.

Referring to the spirit of the justice reform, Bardhi stressed the need to restore dignity to judges and prosecutors. He added that treating their salaries as an act of charity was unacceptable.

“We cannot treat them as charity today. At the very least, we should treat them as we treat ourselves,” he declared, drawing attention to the substantial salary increases granted to other senior officials.

He recalled that lawmakers themselves had increased their salaries by around 50%, while the salaries of the prime minister and ministers had been raised by more than 60%. Moreover, he pointed out that the latter receive a range of additional benefits, such as fuel and telephone expenses.

“There is no basis for comparison between us and magistrates,” stressed the head of the DP parliamentary group.

Bardhi went further, arguing that a judge’s salary should be higher than that of any other senior state official. He illustrated this with a direct criticism of the President of the Republic.

“A judge should earn more than both a lawmaker and a minister, and even more than the president. What does Bajram Begaj do, sitting idly in his office, that a magistrate cannot earn more”? he asked rhetorically.

Concluding his remarks, Bardhi emphasized the weight and risks involved in magistrates’ work. He recalled that these are the judges who directly confront organized crime and hand down sentences of up to life imprisonment. “For this reason, they deserve dignity, not charity,” he concluded.