The salary deadlock in the justice system has produced the first open disruption on the ground. At the Tirana Court, employees and secretaries of the Civil Chamber have suspended services as they await their August salaries and an official clarification of the situation, which continues to drag on between institutions.
Services blocked at the Tirana Court
The boycott has affected the judicial administration in the Civil Chamber, casting doubt on the normal functioning of one of the busiest courts in the country.
The administration has informed the court’s chair of its position, while employees have been told that a response is expected after the meeting of court chairs, scheduled to be held at the High Court at 15:00.
Why the salary deadlock was created
The crisis is linked to Parliament’s failure, by the July 31 deadline, to approve the new salary formula for magistrates following a request from the Constitutional Court.
In the absence of a legal solution, the High Judicial Council and the High Prosecutorial Council set a new reference salary of 222,425 lek, up from 156,800 lek, as well as an additional 14,000 lek for qualification level.
Institutional clash over salary execution
The Ministry of Finance did not execute the payrolls with the new increase, arguing that determining the formula is the competence of Parliament.
The consequences have fallen directly on the system: August salaries have not been executed for judges, prosecutors and part of the administration of courts and prosecution offices. This has also highlighted another familiar weak link of the Albanian state, where institutions pass responsibility to one another while public service is blocked.
Moves in the prosecution system as well, but without the media present
A meeting has also been called in the prosecution system over the salary situation. Prosecutor General Olsian Çela has convened the heads of district prosecution offices, the Prosecutors’ Association and members of the High Prosecutorial Council.
The meeting will be held without the presence of the media, a choice that limits transparency at a moment when the justice system is facing a crisis that directly affects its functioning.
What the government says about a solution
According to public statements by Prime Minister Edi Rama, “the door of the State Treasury” cannot be forced open.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Toni Gogu has said the deadlock is expected to be resolved in Parliament with the start of the new parliamentary session. Until then, the system remains in waiting, while the cost is being transferred to services for citizens and to court proceedings.
The boycott at the Tirana Court is the clearest signal yet that the clash over salaries is no longer just a procedural matter between institutions.
When salaries are not executed and decision-making is pushed from one official door to another, the concrete consequences fall on the administration, judges, prosecutors and citizens waiting for justice.