"Endless wait for the citizen"/ Lamallari criticizes: The number of backlogged cases in the Appeals Court is at alarming levels

2026-01-26 10:58:00, Aktualitet CNA

"Endless wait for the citizen"/ Lamallari criticizes: The number of

The Minister of Justice, Besfort Lamallari, delivered his speech at the opening of the new judicial year.

Lamallari said that one of the problems of the judicial system is the failure to clarify decisions after more than a year, which he described as unacceptable.

Regarding this issue, Lamallari said that he has personally submitted 3 cases to the ILD.

Further, in his speech, Lamallari focused on the Courts of Appeal, where he said that appealing cases has turned into an endless wait for citizens.

Speaking about the Courts of Appeal, Lamallari stated that the number of backlogged cases in these courts is at alarming levels.

Another issue of the judicial system that Lamallari focused on is the lack of human resources. The Minister said that in addition to filling vacancies in human resources, the organizational structure must be reorganized.

Lamallari also criticized the lack of inspections by the ILD, which is not justified by the difficulties in filling vacancies.

" Beyond the difficulties in filling vacancies, there is no reason to justify the lack of inspections."

Regarding the backlog of files, the Supreme Court has set a positive example. The activity of the Supreme Court was characterized by a progressive improvement. Justice is measured where citizens have direct contact with the system. The lack of clarity of decisions after more than a year is not and cannot be acceptable. I have personally submitted 3 cases to the ILD regarding this issue. In the Courts of Appeal, the number of backlogged cases is at alarming levels. The percentage of cases completed fell significantly in the first 9 months of 2025. Appeal has become an endless wait for the citizen. This is not just a statistic, it is a denial of justice. Faced with a backlog situation, there is an extremely low rate of orientation towards mediation.

Mediation represents an institutional intervention of strategic importance and should be treated as such. Another reality that should not be overlooked is the lack of human resources. In addition to the need to fill vacancies, a reorganization of the legal assistants' staff should be carried out.

Albania continues to maintain one of the highest rates of pre-trial detention in Europe.

"I hope that this new academic year will be a testament to prudence and responsibility ," said Lamallari./CNA