On 19 -20 January Albanian judicial professionals and international experts gathered to discuss the current state and future prospects of digitalising court proceedings in Albania. The event was organised by the High Judicial Council of Albania and supported by EU4Justice project and the Action Strengthening the Efficiency and Quality of Justice in Albania (SEJIV), focusing on online hearings and related legislative, technical, and practical challenges.

The event provided the opportunity to focus on strategies for introducing online hearings in Albania, exploring their potential to improve efficiency and reduce case backlogs, including legislative and procedural modifications, technical and organizational challenges, and key safeguards for fair trial rights. The participants also were introduced to relevant CEPEJ guidelines and tools, such as the Guide on the use and development of remote hearings, and comparative experiences from the Council of Europe countries.

The activity was organised by the action Strengthening the Quality and Efficiency of Justice in Albania (SEJ IV)  in the framework of the European Union/Council of Europe joint programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye (Horizontal Facility III), co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.