Ilir Panda takes over as head of the Supreme Court, Sokol Sadushi’s six-year term ends

Ilir Panda has officially taken over as head of the Supreme Court from Sokol Sadushi. The handover took place this Friday in Tirana, during a ceremony in the Hall of the United Colleges, attended by the court’s judges, legal advisers and administrative staff.

With this change in leadership, Sadushi’s six-year term as chair comes to an end. According to the institution, the main challenges during this period included reducing the backlog of cases, improving the quality of decisions and strengthening transparency toward the public.

The new chair, Ilir Panda, described the position he assumed as a major responsibility before the Constitution and the citizens. Acknowledging efforts to rebuild the institution, he stressed the need for high standards in decision-making and the efficient administration of judicial proceedings as conditions for public trust in justice.

According to Panda, this trust is built through quality decisions, clear and consistent judicial reasoning, efficiently managed proceedings and institutional responsibility.

In his speech during the ceremony, Sadushi expressed gratitude to his colleagues and for their commitment over the years. He recalled the difficulties at the outset, when the Supreme Court operated with only one judge while thousands of case files awaited review.

Sadushi announced that he would continue contributing to the institution as a judge. He stressed that although his term as chair ended that day, his responsibility as a judge remained and that he would work alongside his colleagues with the same dedication to the court and to citizens awaiting justice.

Under the leadership of Ilir Panda, the Supreme Court continues to review judicial cases and work to guarantee citizens impartial and reliable justice.