The serious incident that occurred in the premises of the Court of Appeal, where Judge Astrit Kalaja lost his life, has deeply shocked the justice system and public opinion. The President of the Korça Bar Association, Nevzat Tarelli, describes this as an unprecedented and extremely disturbing act, which occurred in a place that symbolizes law and order. He expresses deep regret for the loss of the judge and expresses solidarity with his family, friends and colleagues, considering this event as a serious blow to the institutions of justice as a whole.
” First, I take this opportunity to strongly condemn the event that occurred in the premises of the Court of Appeal, where one of the judges, the late Astrit Kalaja, was executed in the line of duty. I take this opportunity to express my most sincere condolences to his family, all his friends and well-wishers, but also to his colleagues, who have undoubtedly suffered an extraordinary shock. I must say that this event is truly shocking for everyone, especially since it occurred inside the building of the Court of Appeal and, moreover, during the delivery of a judicial decision. But we are already facing this fact.”
The Korça Bar Association, in coordination with the National Bar Association of Albania, has decided to boycott court proceedings on October 9 and 10. This decision comes as a form of protest and solidarity with the late judge, but also as a call for increased security measures in the country’s courts. The lawyers demand that the responsible institutions intervene urgently to guarantee the protection of all actors in the system, from judges and prosecutors, to lawyers, experts and psychologists who face dangers every day in courtrooms.
” What I want to emphasize is that we, as a Local Chamber, in full agreement with the National Chamber of Advocates, have received notification of the decision of the Steering Committee of the National Chamber of Advocates of Albania, which decided to boycott court proceedings on October 9 and 10, to express on the one hand solidarity with the pain of the family and colleagues of the deceased judge, and on the other hand to express our protest and to request awareness of all state institutions, the public and institutions that deal directly with justice, the High Judicial Council, the High Prosecutorial Council, the High Inspectorate of Justice, but also the entire state as a whole, to significantly increase security measures in Albanian courts. This must be done not only for judges, but for all subjects and actors of justice, including prosecutors, lawyers, as well as experts and psychologists, who assist in court proceedings and often become themselves subjects of physical or verbal violence .”
According to the Chamber of Advocates, this event is the result of a deteriorating situation that has long affected the judicial system. The degradation of public trust, numerous delays in processes, lack of efficiency and attacks on justice institutions have created a climate of distrust and tension, which in extreme cases can lead to acts of violence. This tragedy, according to Tarelli, should serve as an alarm for institutions to review the functioning of the system and improve the organization of work so that justice is delivered in a timely manner and with dignity.
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