The Ombudsman, Ms. Erinda Ballanca, presented the Annual Activity Report for 2024 at a public hearing, at the joint meeting of the Parliamentary Committees for Human Rights and for Civic Initiatives.

At the beginning of the report, Ms. Ballanca focused on the serious event of the previous day, where Judge Astrit Kalaja lost his life.

“We are shocked by this event,” she said, emphasizing that beyond the criminal act, the event should serve as a call for reflection on the state of the justice system and on the support given to those who keep it afloat.

Ms. Ballanca noted that judges and prosecutors in Albania face great overload, lack of resources and high professional stress.

“We have also raised our voices, but we have not been able to help this category of professionals who have gone through extraordinary stress after the changes in the system, especially due to the burden of files.”

She noted that referring to the data until the end of 2024, Albania had 9.8 active judges for every 100 thousand inhabitants, although the number foreseen in the organic is 14.9 judges per 100 thousand inhabitants, and the average of the European Union countries is 21.9 judges per 100 thousand inhabitants. This clearly shows that our system operates with a very low capacity compared to European standards.

“We must return to supporting judges and their working conditions, which are not only related to a dignified salary, but to the entire professional and institutional environment in which they work.”

The Advocate then focused on the implementation of the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), emphasizing that the real purpose of these decisions is not only financial compensation, but also taking structural measures that guarantee the non-repetition of violations.

“In Albania, only the monetary aspect of the decision is often understood, but the essence is in correcting the institutional mechanisms that lead to violations,” she said.

Closely related to this issue, the Ombudsman requested the revision of the law on expropriations, the provision of funds before issuing the decision, and more transparency from the State Attorney’s Office, to periodically report to the Parliament on the progress of the implementation of the decisions of the ECHR.

Another highlighted issue was the reform in justice and the new judicial map, on which the Advocate recalled the institution’s previous position.

“We have been against it from the beginning, because reducing the number of courts does not solve the burden on the system. On the contrary, it is perceived as an inability to obtain justice, and this can lead to self-justification,” she said, calling for an increase in the number of judges and courts to ensure wider access for citizens.

In conclusion, Ms. Ballanca stressed that justice reform must continue, but with a focus on the people who keep the system alive: “Every reform must be measured by how it affects the person who bears the burden of justice — not only with the structures it creates, but with the trust it restores.”