Communication from the President of the Constitutional Court of Albania

PRESS RELEASE
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT,
MS. HOLTA ZAÇAJ

At the conclusion of my mandate as judge and, simultaneously, as President of the Constitutional Court, I wish to share with the public some reflections on the work and achievements of this Court during the three years in which I had the privilege, responsibility, and satisfaction of exercising this constitutional function. The duration of my mandate somehow met my expectations for it and allowed me to realize my vision for the administration and leadership of the Constitutional Court.
The year 2025 closed with one of the most important challenges for the institution: the issue of the duration of constitutional judges’ mandates. As long as the mandate of a constitutional judge is closely connected to the independence of the judge and of the Court itself, uncertainties in this regard affect both the systemic functioning of the institution and the personal standing of the judges. In this context, I believe I contributed in a manner that goes beyond personal considerations, regardless of any differing interpretations.
During the period 2023–2025, the Constitutional Court faced decision-making of particular importance, reaffirming once again its indispensable role as the guarantor of the Constitution. The panel of judges worked with dedication, handling a record number of cases, which in the last three years increased by 35–40%, reaching up to around 400 cases reviewed per year, of which a considerable number, up to 85 cases annually were concluded with final decisions in plenary sessions. The Court continued to examine plenary-session cases within an eight-month period, and all other cases within the legal three-month deadline, consistently maintaining zero case backlog.
I am pleased to observe that these three intensive years have contributed to redefining the role and profile of the Constitutional Court of Albania.
This period marked several important developments such as:
I. Key Institutional Initiatives
During these three years, initiatives that had been lacking for years were undertaken, which today constitute consolidated practices with long-term impact. Viewing justice as a public service, increasing transparency and access was among the main priorities, and the realization of the following initiatives takes on special significance:
1. Jurisprudence Guides – For the first time, the entire jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court was compiled and published. In 2024, the Guide on Individual Constitutional Complaints was published, while in 2025 the Guide on Fundamental Principles, Rights, and Freedoms.
2. The bimonthly Bulletin of Decisions of the Constitutional Court, widely distributed in electronic format in both Albanian and English, with clear and accessible summaries of the court’s decisions for legal professionals and the broader public.
3. “My Constitution”, the first explanatory handbook for schoolchildren, written in simple and educational language.

II. Communication with the Public and the Media
To strengthen transparency and public information, since 2023 the Constitutional Court has implemented new practices of transparency and public communication through the following instruments:
• Press conferences of the President of the Court on the same day of decisions deliberations in cases of high public interest, accompanied by press releases that included key reasoning of the decisions.
• Annual reports on the judicial and administrative activity of the Court.
• Live broadcasting of public plenary sessions.
• Publication of case assignment information, as well as the decisions of the Panels or Meeting of Judges, on the official website of the Court.
• Increased presence on social media through verified and accessible information for the public.
• The new official website of the Court, designed with a modern and firnedly-user layout and more organized structure.
• The electronic case-management system, developed in cooperation with international partners and expected to be finalized soon, bringing the Court into the digital era.

III. Important Regulatory Acts
During this period, the panel of judges adopted a number of important internal acts, including:
• Regulation on the Organization and Functioning of the Administration of the Constitutional Court.
• Regulation on Media Communication.
• Code of Ethics of the Administration of the Constitutional Court.
None of the above would have been possible without the support of my fellow judges, whom I sincerely thank for supporting my vision and for their tireless work in achieving the set objectives. Likewise, I express my highest appreciation for the professional support of the legal advisors and Court’s administration, as well as for that of all institutional and international partners who have cooperated with the Court throughout this period.
In conclusion, I express my conviction that the achievements highlighted above will continue to serve as a strong foundation for the further development of the Constitutional Court and for strengthening its role as the highest institution guaranteeing the Constitution of the Republic of Albania.