Judicial salaries debate, EAJ opposes draft law: Binding force of Constitutional Court ruling undermined

The European Association of Judges (EAJ) has raised serious concerns about recent developments in Albania and the implementation of Constitutional Court Decision No. 15/2026, which addresses the salary system for judges, prosecutors and court employees.

The EAJ states that the guidelines set out by the Constitutional Court have not been implemented. Meanwhile, a draft law aimed at retroactively recalculating salaries has been submitted to Parliament. According to the association, this intervention would circumvent the legal consequences of the constitutional ruling and undermine its binding nature.

In its statement, the EAJ emphasizes that the effective enforcement of court rulings is one of the main pillars of the rule of law. Given the supremacy of the Constitution, constitutional court rulings must be respected by every public authority.

The EAJ Board warns that the situation could harm the rule of law, judicial independence and the principle of separation of powers, as well as weaken confidence in Albania’s justice reforms.

The association has announced that it will support the Union of Judges of Albania, which is one of its members. The issue will also be included on the agenda of the General Assembly to be held in Lisbon in October, while European and international stakeholders will also be informed of the situation.