ADDRESS OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF ALBANIA MRS. SHPRESA BECAJ
Conference on “10 Generations of Magistrates graduated through the years from the Magistrates’ School” (2000-2009)

 

Honorable President of the Republic of Albania,
Honorable Representatives of the Diplomatic Corpus,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Colleagues,

It is my pleasure to be here today with all of you, to celebrate “10 Generations of Magistrates”
We are all proud of this School, the prestige and reputation of which is well know by now.

I would like to avail myself of this occasion to warmly acknowledge and thank, in your presence, the creators and founders of the School, specially the immense role of the Council of Europe; all the full and part time professors, the international partners: Council of Europe, Embassy of the United States, the OSCE, the Delegation of the European Union and the national partners.

Today, I feel proud of the enthusiasm, devotion and motivation of each and every one of you, who have given your contribution for this school.

In a democratic society, where the rule of law should prevail, and the making of justice should be saintly for everyone, who contributes in the system of the organs of justice and prosecution, the contemporary professional education of magistrates takes a crucial role.
The Magistrates’ School has been a household for a source of further scientific education and knowledge for the new magistrates, judges and prosecutors in duty in the district and appeal courts.

The establishment of the Magistrates’ School brought a significant change in recruitment procedures of the new candidates for judges and prosecutors, on behalf of the only goal, the professional improvement of the magistrates. During these 13 years of its functioning the Magistrates’ School has accomplished step by step this mission, by giving an immense help in the professional enhancement of the judiciary and prosecution in our country.

Honorable participants! Dear magistrates of 10 Generations and candidates for magistrates who still are in the process of education!

13 years, is a beautiful age! The age when more than ever we should initiate new projects, new challenges, based on the experience and success gained during these years.

We should bring in our memories the context, which represents a step forward from a justice, the image of which has suffered the consequences and difficulties of the transition period, in a justice which seeks quality. This quality moves together, in harmony, with a reformed legislation and consolidation of the magistrates’ professionalism.

Adopting the model of a School for Magistrates, on one hand, the principle of competition in order to gain the necessary competences to exercise this delicate mission, and on the other hand the immense job that this school has done to educate the new generation of magistrates, are important developments to the function of improvement of the system of the judiciary, prosecution and all the other auxiliary links of justice.

This anniversary in an important moment, not only to emphasize this evolution, but also it is important for a reflection towards the justice of tomorrow, which will be guided by these magistrates, educated today in this school. This reflection starts today by taking a looking back on the past, which will give us the key for the future, and for this I am confident!

This year and the years to come, the future requires a School of Magistrates to be more European than ever. The process of integration and the implementation of the Association and Stabilization Agreement require a continuous reformation of the justice system, and for this we need much work, dedication, commitment from all the actors in the justice field.

The judicial reform remains one of the principal priorities of each society and a fundamental challenge of the judicial power, in the function of the protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the establishment of the rule of law. This challenge should be assessed by all the actors and not only by the judiciary, since the reform is closely and necessarily related with the effective sanction of the independence of the judicial power and itself administration.

The public trust in the justice cannot be gained easily!

The judges and prosecutors of this country with deep traditions in law making and giving justice constitute the army of people with the respect in the Constitution, laws and rules of judicial ethic. They have all the professional opportunities and constitutional guarantees to triumph over pressures, influences or wrong interventions of any kind made towards the judicial power.

The mission for the continuous reformation of the Albanian legislation and judiciary should continue intensively for the further legal and theoretical consolidation of the core institutions of the justice and transparent judicial procedure, within our system. The long term goals and objectives should be the complete reformation of the Justice Codes and Code of the judicial ethics, which are the core legal acts for the establishment of the rights relations between citizens and the modern function of a European judiciary.

The judiciary should strengthen itself as a system which promotes the public trust in the integrity of courts. From us, it is required to give persuasive evidences that the judiciary is positively changing, that the progress is more evident and tangible by the public. Justice belongs to all, since justice is a principle and important social value, is a reality and tangible aspiration, justice above all is a service toward the public.


We should work more so that the people can be aware on how to know and implement the laws and to seek and find justice only in the Albanian judiciary, since judges are the rigorous executants of the laws.

I would like to make you a strong appeal, in order to make the justice more public, more transparent, absolutely responsible and absolutely trustful, since only in this way we can present our work with all the efforts and positive results, but surely without denying and highlighting the problems, which do exist.

Let this meeting on “10 Generations of Magistrates” servers us as an encouragement for a greater devotion and contribution to fulfill the challenges ahead

My best wishes and future successes for the Albanian Magistrates.

THANK YOU!

Tirana on, 23.12.2009