Former judges and prosecutors that were discharged following the vetting process in Albania due to problems with their assets or ties to corruption are now racing to get licensed as attorneys.
Many of them got a license before even being disbarred, while others are eyeing to exercise attorney duties, although being discharged by the Independent Qualification Commission.
The vetting process, which aims to free the system from legal practitioners implicated in corruptive affairs, or hiding assets, has been widely seen as the cornerstone of the implementation of the justice reform.
But were really those discharged from the vetting process ousted from the entire justice system? The answer is no.
The head of the Anti-Corruption Lawyers Association, Ndue Pjetra, says that a majority of magistrates have a backup plan, which is getting licensed as an attorney prior to going through the vetting process.
“Out of 120 discharged judges and prosecutors around 97.98% are now equipped with an attorney’s license. From the moment that a judge or prosecutor acquires that license, it means that he’s thinking of a future job as an attorney and exit thinking about all the corruptive affairs they’ve been involved”, he said.
The association is now formally calling on the Ministry of Justice to take up measures and prevent this occurrence.
Pjetra says that those discharged from the vetting see their former colleagues in the legal system as a means to achieve the desired court result.
The association is now formally calling on the Ministry of Justice to take up measures and prevent this occurrence.
Euronews Albania spoke to the Albanian National Chamber of Advocates which explained that the law does not allow former judges or prosecutors to get a license as attorney when they are not only expelled by Independent Qualification Commission, but also from the Special Appellate College.
In light of that, Euronews Albania discovered that ex-judges and prosecutors are rushing to get a license before appearing in front of the Special Appellate College.
On May 6, the Independent Qualification Commission announced its decision to disbar Elbasan judge Ramazan Avdiu.
During the vetting process, several issues about his wealth surfaced. Meanwhile, his name can be seen on the list of the bar exam only a few days after the commission’s decision.
Another name spotted on the list is that of Korca judge Markelian Kuqo, discharged from the High Judicial Council after he released on probation Gerd Gjenerari convicted to a life sentence.
