From 9 to 13 February, a series of meetings and on-site visits were carried out by the CEPEJ experts together with the High Judicial Council (HJC) of Albania to review the current situation of court safety and security standards, and to then in develop recommendations for a national strategy in line with European standards.

Following an exchange with the assigned HJC staff on safety standards and practical checklists to use for the audit of the buildings, the CEPEJ experts visited the Tirana Administrative Court of First Instance, the Tirana Court of First Instance, the Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction, the Court of First Instance in Durres, and the High Court. 

The safety standards of the building infrastructure, physical security arrangements, IT systems and cybersecurity safeguards, and application of the CEPEJ Guidelines on the organisation and accessibility of court premises were at the heart of discussions. The findings were presented to an interinstitutional working group, outlining key recommendations and next steps to strengthen coordination, enhance standards, and support the development of a comprehensive national approach to court security.

The commitment to safe court environments and resilient digital systems across the Albanian judiciary was reaffirmed.

The activity was organised in the framework of the action “Strengthening the Efficiency and Quality of Justice in Albania” (SEJIV), co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe under the Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.