"We are not institutional decor"/ Zaçaj: The Constitutional Court has issued important decisions this year

2025-10-20 14:43:00, Aktualitet CNA

"We are not institutional decor"/ Zaçaj: The Constitutional

The President of the Constitutional Court, Holta Zaçaj, was present today at the conference held in Tirana on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Albania's membership in the Council of Europe and 35 years in the Venice Commission.

In her speech, Zaçaj said that the main lesson of these over 30 years of partnership with European institutions is that the Constitutional Court should not be simply an institutional decoration.

Zaçaj stated that during this year, the Constitution has made important decisions, while also emphasizing the role of the European Convention on Human Rights.

"A Constitutional Court that dares not is merely institutional decorum. This is the lesson of 30 years of our partnership with European institutions. Human rights are not an ideology or a system of abstract thoughts. They are an integral part of our being, which only take on meaning when translated into concrete actions and implemented by all state institutions."

In 1995, Albania became a member of the Council of Europe and just one year later we ratified the European Convention on Human Rights. The Constitutional Court has reflected this approach, but also in a series of important decisions taken during this year, for which it gave important interpretations and also found violations of human rights. These decisions are an expression of our irrevocable affiliation to the Convention.

The decisions of the Constitutional Court are final and should not be contested by any institution, this is key to respecting the Constitution. We do not have a eraser but an eraser, we do not write laws, but we erase those that contradict the Constitution.

"The Constitution is not a game for politicians, but a contract with citizens. Justice must be fair and constitutional, it cannot be a tool of power, but of protection. Human rights are universal and must be respected by all," said Zaçaj. /CNA