How protection of property rights looks like in practice? This was the focus of an interactive training at the School of Magistrates, organised with the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe, and attended by more than 40 magistrates, judges and legal professionals, who explored the legal aspects of implementing the law on the treatment and compensation of property, its constitutional safeguards, and the European Court of Human Rights’ (the Court) standards in shaping national practice.

Council of Europe consultant Viktor Gumi guided participants through recent judgments by the Court, [GR1] [KZ2] including cases from Albania, demonstrating how principles such as fair compensation, legality, and proportionality can promote transparent decision-making. This hands-on analysis helped participants connect human rights principles with the challenges they face in daily judicial work

Constitutional Court Judge Marsida Xhaferllari outlined the key constitutional safeguards for property rights and shared insights into the application of property legislation in Albania.  Judge Amarilda Sulaj acted as moderator, facilitating lively group discussions and real-life case exercises that encouraged collaboration and peer learning.[BB3] [KZ4] 

By the end of the training, participants had enhanced their skills to apply the Court's standards in domestic proceedings, contributing to greater consistency and fairness in property-related cases for Albania.

This activity was organised by the Action Improving the protection of the right to property and facilitating execution of ECtHR judgments in Albania (D-REX III), under the Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye programme, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, in co-operation with the School of Magistrates of Albania