TIRANA, May 1 – Since Monday, 9 Courts of First Instance in the districts and 9 prosecutor’s offices will not function. The Courts of First Instance that are closed are in Tropoja, Mat, Kurbin, Krujë, Pukë, Lushnje, Kavajë, Përmet and Pogradec. This is the plan that is implemented within the second phase of the implementation of the new judicial map.
Structure of the courts of first instance are reorganized and from now on only 13 courts out of 22 will function.
After the second phase, the files of the court of Tropoja are transferred to Kukës, of Mati to Dibër, of Kurbini to Lezhë, of Puka to Shkodër, of Kruja to Tirana, of Kavaja to the court of Durrës, of Lushnja to Fier, of Përmet to Gjirokastra and Pogradec to Korça.
The first phase was applied in February when from the 6 Courts of Appeal that were throughout the country, the reduction to a national Appeal was decided. In this way, the Courts of Appeal in Shkodra, Vlora, Durrës Korça and Gjirokastra were merged, causing all files to be transferred to Tirana.
The third phase will enter into force on July 1 of this year, when all administrative courts are expected to be reduced to two, one in Tirana and one in Lushnja.
The new map will operate with 16 courts in total, 13 of the First Instance, 1 Court of Appeal and 2 Administrative courts. The Supreme Court merged 18 courts, reducing the Courts of Appeal to a single one in Tirana, from 5 Administrative courts there will be only two, in the capital and in Lushnja, while from the 22 that were, from May 1st they will be only 13 courts of First Instance according to the new map.
This reorganization of the judicial system has been widely criticized because it creates first of all difficulties for the interested people, who should have to travel to the new judicial destination for any need. /argumentum.al
