Albanian Parliament rejects PD request to delay judiciary status bill

The Albanian Parliament has rejected a request from the Democratic Party (PD) to remove a draft law concerning the status of judges and prosecutors from the agenda. The proposed legislation includes amendments related to magistrate salaries. The PD's motion to delay the bill for further evaluation by the Council for Legislation was defeated in a plenary session with 36 votes in favor and 79 against.

Democratic parliamentary group leader Gazment Bardhi argued that the bill could violate the Constitution and emphasized the need for consultation with justice institutions to ensure judicial independence. He noted that the issue has been ongoing for seven years and involves previous Constitutional Court decisions.

In the Legal Commission, Deputy Oerd Bylykbashi proposed a public hearing to consult key stakeholders, including the High Judicial Council, the High Prosecutorial Council, and various judicial associations. Ulsi Manja approved the request for this hearing, which was rescheduled to an earlier time.