Minister Gogu Tangible Justice for Citizens Focuses on Efficiency and Access to Justice

During a press conference, Toni Gogu, the Minister of Justice, stated that the justice reform has entered the phase of delivering concrete results for citizens as Albania marks the 10th anniversary of launching the reform. Gogu emphasized that the current focus is on strengthening human rights and procedural guarantees, increasing access to justice, and improving judicial efficiency.
Gogu stated that these priorities are directly linked to the European integration process and the fulfillment of European Union standards, particularly under Chapter 23, which concerns the judiciary and fundamental rights.
Gogu announced that, over the past 18 months, around 70 institutions and 190 experts have been coordinated within the framework of the integration process and the IBAR evaluation report, and more than 8,000 pages of documentation have been submitted to the European Commission. He stated that the report has now moved from the technical working groups for review by the ambassadors of EU member states.
Discussing the results of the justice reform, the minister noted that public trust in the system increased from 26% to 53%, and positive perceptions of the reform rose from 34% to 56%. Conversely, negative perceptions declined from 38% to 17%.
Regarding pending cases, Gogu stated that the judicial backlog remains one of the system’s main challenges, though he claims it has entered a downward trajectory. Currently, there are over 137,000 pending cases, while the Supreme Court has reduced its backlog by 60% over the past five years and by 24% in the last year alone.
The minister emphasized that steps are being taken to expand the capacity of the judicial system by adding legal advisors, improving infrastructure, and advancing projects such as the new Tirana Court of Appeals building.
The Ministry of Justice is also revising the Criminal Procedure Code, modernizing the Criminal Code, expanding the Free Legal Aid program, and digitizing notary and bailiff services.
Another priority is strengthening security within the penitentiary system. Minister Gogu announced that around 450 checks and 74 security inspections have been carried out in penitentiary institutions in recent months, focusing on institutional discipline.