The Justice Appointments Council (KED) has published a list of 13 candidates for the position of High Justice Inspector (ILD), one of the new judiciary governance institutions.
According to the Constitution art. 147/d, the ILD is responsible for “the verification of complaints, investigation of violations on its own initiative and the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against judges and prosecutors of all levels, members of the High Judicial Council, High Prosecutorial Council and the Prosecutor General.”
Also according to the Constitution, the ILD should have been appointed within 6 months of the promulgation of the new Constitution in 2016. Because the KED has only recently become functional (even though not all its members have yet been vetted), the procedure to elect the ILD has only recently started.
The ILD is elected from a list of 5 candidates selected and ranked by the KED with a parliamentary majority of 3/5 of the total amount of votes. ILD candidates should be prominent jurists with at least 15 years of professional experience and of high moral and professional integrity.
The following candidates have applied:
- Altin Hazizaj
- Artur Malaj
- Artur Metani
- Elira Kokona
- Eris Hysi
- Ferdinand Caka
- Genci Gjonçaj
- Genci Ismaili
- Klodian Rado
- Lefteri Lleshi
- Marsida Xhaferllari
- Mimoza Qinami
- Suzana Frashëri
In 2017, only the dossiers of Artur Malaj and Marsida Xhaferllari had been opened as part their application to the ILD. Malaj, judge at the Administrative Court, was confirmed last year but his confirmation was appealed by the Public Commissioner at the Special Appeals Chamber. Xhaferllari’s vetting was recently interrupted because she no longer had the status of judge. Her eligibility is unclear.
The current list includes 11 additional candidates, including a few people that previously applied for other functions in the new justice governance institutions. Hazizaj is a former candidate for the High Judicial Council, who had falsified his decrimininalization form. Kokona is General Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and former General Secretary of the Ministry of Culture. Gjonçaj is current General Secretary of Parliament, responsible for several moves during the election of the KLGj and High Prosecutorial Council (KLP) that went against the recommendation of the International Monitoring Operation.
Metani is the current State Attorney, nominated in November 2018. Qinami previously applied for the KLP. Frashëri appeared last year as possible candidate for Albanian seat at the European Court of Human Rights; she didn’t make it to the shortlist. Hysi, Caka, and Ismaili are lawyers, whereas Lleshi is former chairman of the Central Election Commission. Klodian Rado is a former judge and current expert at EURALIUS.
