The law on the new formula for magistrates’ salaries has entered into force at an unusual institutional pace: it was approved by Parliament in the early hours of September 18, 2026, decreed the same day by President Bajram Begaj, and then published in the Official Gazette. With this step, according to the official version, the funds for the payments are also unblocked.
Approved at night, decreed in the morning
The law was voted through by Parliament in the early hours of September 18, 2026. Later that same day, President Bajram Begaj promulgated the act with Decree No. 495.
The speed of the procedure stands out, as only a few hours passed between parliamentary approval, the decree, and publication in the Official Gazette.
Publication in the Official Gazette makes the law immediately enforceable
With its publication in the Official Gazette, the law enters into force immediately. This means that, according to the act’s provisions, the way is opened for the unblocking of funds for magistrates’ salaries.
In practice, the most immediate effect of this publication is tied precisely to the payments, not simply to the formal completion of the legal procedure.
The increase does not necessarily end the dispute
Although the law has now entered into force, the salary increase does not appear to be at the level sought by the courts.
For this reason, the possibility remains open that objections will not stop here. According to information made public, the courts may continue the legal battle and seek other ways to challenge the new formula.
The immediate entry into force puts an end to the formal deadlock over the funds, but not necessarily to the debate over the content of the law.
If the objections again move through legal channels, the issue of magistrates’ salaries may remain open even after publication in the Official Gazette.