KJC grants courts in the Palace of Justice the right to reduce or suspend work due to extreme heat

The Kosovo Judicial Council has decided to authorize the presidents of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Administrative Court, Commercial Court and Basic Court in Prishtina to take measures in response to the situation created by high temperatures in the Palace of Justice.

Following this decision, it is now up to the presidents of these courts to determine, based on their own assessment, whether work should be reduced or suspended.

At today’s meeting, KJC chair Rrustem Thaçi stressed that, regardless of the presidents’ assessment, they may decide to reduce activity or suspend work until the situation improves.

“We authorize the presidents of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Commercial Court, Basic Court and Administrative Court to assess the working conditions, the state of the high temperatures and, regardless of the assessment, decide on reducing work or suspending it until the situation improves,” Thaçi said.

According to him, the situation in the Palace of Justice has reached an alarming point and is intolerable.

“Since 2017 I have been part of the work at the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, and the situation is alarming, unacceptable, intolerable. We are no longer talking about working conditions, we are talking about people’s lives. It is our duty to ensure at least that their health does not suffer. At 11 o’clock they wonder whether they can survive until 16:00,” he said.