Salaries must be unblocked immediately,” General Assembly of Judges warns: Measures will escalate to the reduction and restriction of judicial activity

The General Assembly of Judges of the Republic of Albania, convened on September 10, 2026, following the freezing of salaries for judges and judicial administration staff, has adopted an official statement. It calls for payrolls to be processed immediately and for the Constitutional Court’s ruling to be implemented.

According to the adopted statement, the General Assembly of Judges emphasizes that the situation undermines the authority of the Constitution, the binding nature of Constitutional Court rulings and the independence of the judiciary.

The statement clarifies that the salary freeze has also affected court secretaries, chancellors and other court employees. Regarding the state budget, the judges stress that a constitutional obligation cannot become optional because of a lack of planning or the need to reallocate funds, as the budget must ensure the implementation of the Constitution.

The statement includes the following demands: the immediate unfreezing and payment of salaries for judges and judicial administration staff; the full implementation of Constitutional Court ruling no. 15/2026, High Judicial Council decision no. 435 and the orders issued by courts’ authorizing officers; the start of payments toward outstanding obligations pursuant to paragraph 110 of the Constitutional Court ruling; the adoption of a new legal framework in accordance with the Constitution, following consultation with the governing bodies of the justice system; an end to administrative practices that hinder the financial functioning of the courts; the pursuit of legal remedies, including administrative, civil and constitutional action, to ensure the processing of payrolls; bringing the matter before international organizations, particularly the European Commission and foreign diplomatic missions; and a request for the President of the Republic to act in defense of judicial independence and to monitor the proposed bill amending Law no. 96/2016.

The statement concludes with a warning that, unless the responsible institutions act immediately to process the salaries, the measures taken by the judiciary will escalate to the temporary reduction and restriction of judicial activity, limiting it solely to the consideration of urgent cases.