Head of OSCE Presence in Albania welcomes adoption of administrative courts law

TIRANA, 3 May 2012 - The Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Eugen Wollfarth, welcomed today the approval of the law on administrative courts by the Albanian parliament.

“The law on administrative courts approved by the Assembly is expected to strengthen the justice system of the country, improve access to justice for citizens and businesses, and facilitate faster procedural actions and trials,” said Wollfarth. “All this is much needed for the further development of the country’s judiciary.”

“The draft was significantly improved since 2010 when it was first submitted to the parliamentary Laws Committee. The improvements were to a large degree a result of public consultations with stakeholders. This, together with a constructive working atmosphere inside the Committee, is an encouraging factor for the future reform and activities of the Assembly,” he added.

The adopted Law sets clear criteria for selecting and further promoting administrative court judges in a transparent manner, based solely on their merits and with due regard for their qualifications, integrity, ability and efficiency. For the first time, this law stipulates an independent judicial review  that will allow for the courts' scrutiny of any legal infringement by an administrative body, including lack of competence, procedural impropriety and abuse of power.

The OSCE Presence in Albania has closely followed and supported the drafting of the administrative courts law. Together with international partners, it provided recommendations, including on merit-based selection of judges and increasing number of administrative courts.