From 9 to 13 February, experts from CEPEJ^[i] of the Council of Europe visited the High Judicial Council (HJC) and several courts in Albania, within the framework of the European Union and Council of Europe joint action SEJIV. The mission aimed to support the HJC in reviewing and enhancing court safety and related security standards in line with European best practices.

The programme began with an exchange meeting with HJC staff, providing an opportunity to discuss with CEPEJ experts safety standards and practical tools used for audits on the safety of the courts’ buildings. Important visits followed in 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 Durrës, and the High Court. During these on-site assessments Council of Europe experts and Albanian justice professionals  examined a wide range of topics including building safety, physical security, IT systems and cybersecurity safeguards. The findings were presented to the inter-institutional working group established by HJC, outlining key recommendations and next steps to strengthen co-ordination, enhance safety standards, and support the development of a comprehensive national approach to court security.

The outcomes of the mission will contribute to the preparation of concrete recommendations to address court safety and security in Albania. This marks an important step forward in the process of developing a national strategy on courts security and safety, in line with European standards.

This initiative demonstrates the continued commitment of CEPEJ and the Albanian public authorities to advancing safety in court environments and strengthening digital security systems across the judiciary.

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.

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[i] European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice