The ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer was accompanied by criticism of how the justice system currently functions in relation to lawyers. At the Committee on Legal Affairs, Democratic Party MP Saimir Korreshi said the profession cannot be treated with lower standards than other actors in the process, while Justice Minister Toni Gogu asked for support for the agreement, presenting it as a protective and monitoring instrument.
Debate in the Legal Affairs Committee
The draft law reviewed by the committee concerns the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, signed in Luxembourg on May 13, 2025.
During the discussion, Saimir Korreshi questioned what he said was a differentiation made to the role of the lawyer in relation to the prosecutor and other actors in the justice system. The PD MP called for protection of the profession not to remain only in legal wording, but to be accompanied by concrete changes in how the system functions.
Korreshi: There cannot be two standards
Korreshi argued that if the aim is to give more dignity to the legal profession, then the way it is treated in practice must be examined more broadly. According to him, there cannot be different standards between the lawyer and the other actors in the process.
He also raised the issue of judges’ and prosecutors’ relationship with lawyers, claiming that in practice the profession is not treated with the same status and professional dignity that is claimed on paper.
Remark on divorces and criticism of the Chamber of Advocacy
In the discussion, the Democratic Party MP also focused on divorce procedures, where he called for the removal of the reconciliation stage in court, arguing that it produces no real effect.
Korreshi also touched on the way the Chamber of Advocacy is led. He proposed time limits for its leaders, suggesting that the lack of rotation harms representation and the institutional seriousness of this professional organization.
Government: The convention brings protection and monitoring
Justice Minister Toni Gogu said the concerns raised are linked to concrete difficulties encountered in the practice of the legal profession. In his account, it is precisely these problems that make ratification of the Convention necessary.
According to the minister, the agreement sets principles for protecting the role of the lawyer and also brings international monitoring. He referred to the GRAVO mechanism, which is expected to oversee how the profession is practiced and protected after ratification.
Agreement on a hearing with interest groups
At the end of the debate, Gogu said he agreed with the proposal to hold a hearing with interest groups so that the issues raised can be discussed more broadly.
The debate in the committee highlighted a familiar gap in justice: on the one hand promises of European standards, on the other complaints of unequal treatment and procedural obstacles that, even when acknowledged by the government, still remain to be resolved in practice.
The draft law on ratifying the Convention comes at a time when the debate over the real functioning of the justice system remains open, not only at the level of principles but also in the daily reality of the professionals who deal with it.
Beyond formal agreement on hearings and monitoring, it remains to be seen whether the concerns raised in the committee will translate into concrete changes and not simply into another act of ratification with limited effect on the ground.