OSCE Presence in Albania and National Judicial Conference organize judicial ethics seminars

TIRANA, 10 November 2006 - A two-day seminar aimed at improving the standards of judicial ethics among Albanian judges ended today in the city of Durres.

A similar event took place earlier this week in Shkodra with the participation of judges from district courts from northern Albania.

Both events were organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania and the National Judicial Conference's Ethics Committee in co-operation with the Centre for Public Policy, Political Science and Law.

The seminars focused on issues such as limiting judges' communication with the prosecutor, defence lawyer and parties. Participants also discussed various other articles of the Albanian Code of Judicial Ethics.

"Improving judicial ethics is a high priority for the OSCE Presence in Albania. We are very pleased with the active approach the Ethics Committee is taking to this issue and believe that there will be a continued effort by this body to train judges better to recognize ethical questions," said Frank Dalton, the Head of the Presence's Rule of Law Unit.

"Ethical violations are often a result of the lack of knowledge rather than of ill intention. Another goal is to make the judicial ethics more applicable and that may require a review of the existing Code."

Participants were trained by John Walker, former Chief Judge of the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second Circuit.