Albania's courts clash over Erjon Velia's detention and the “most favourable law” rule

Polemician Arben Meçe debated on the RTSH programme “3D nga Alban Dudushi” the recent judicial decisions of Albania’s High Court and Constitutional Court concerning the case of Erjon Velia. He argued that Velia should not have been placed in pre‑trial detention and that a unified security measure, rather than arrest, ought to be applied.

Meçe invoked the principle of the “most favourable law” from the Criminal Code, saying that when legislation changes after an offence, the lighter version should apply to the accused. He claimed the Constitutional Court issued a ruling that the High Court failed to respect, calling for the case to be re‑examined under the new, more lenient provisions. He warned that the contradictory rulings create procedural uncertainty and urged that security measures be reconsidered in favour of milder alternatives.