The head of the KGS: If we lower our wages, we send the law to Constitution.

Along with these actions for this law, Zogaj, in an interview for Kosova Prees, also talks about the resignations of Serbian judges, disagreements with the executive, but also the work of this institution over the past year.

The head of the KDR says there has been constant efforts to cut judges' salaries.

There's been an ongoing effort to cut the judges' salaries, we, when we're talking, don't know what the judges' salary will be... K The JPS will follow all legal and constitutional ways if in the Law on Rewards there will be discounts for judges' salaries, we hope that there will be widespread clarification of the judicial administration, I hope there will be an increase, because the question of the value of coffients, but that preliminary estimates mean that there will be drastic wage cuts, something that is completely unacceptable to the KRCK... there can be no reduction of the judges' salaries because the salaries are legitimized with decision and actually for 5 years the judges have accepted these salaries and the time of great inflation and the crisis is totally unacceptable... Unfortunately so far, we do not have an ombudsman reflection either in relation to the earlier decision or, at least so far, declared with the Law of Pays, however. The judiciary will see all constitutional opportunities to follow the issue until the Constitutional Court”, he emphasises.

As for the Law for Public Officials, which has already complained to the Constitutional Court by opposition PDK and LDK parties, Zogaj says this law undermines the organisation of the administration and as such is unacceptable to the Kosovo Judiciary Council.

During 2022 Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has often reacted to court decisions as well as Justice Minister Albulen Haxhiu. The latest case was for former Serbian police officer Dejan Pantic, who replaced the detention measure with that of house arrest.

These reactions of the executive over the judiciary, Zogaj considers them unacceptable and interference in the judicial system. He says judges' decisions should be accepted, not commented, much less by the country's prime minister.
“Government interventions through interpretation of judicial decisions are now not unusual, we have repeatedly, we have such behavior of the government in relation to the work of the judiciary, but that this is really an unacceptable situation exactly as the KDR communiqué has said, that everyone should accept judicial decisions, even we who are constituent parts of the judiciary and manage justice, have no right to comment on judicial decisions. In concrete case (the former police officer Pantic) the competent judge of the case within the competent department has carried out constitutional and legal duties deciding on the matter according to a request that has also come from a competent authority... This is direct intervention in the work of courts, imagine in a democratic country the prime minister interested in the name of the judge who decides on a court case, is absurd and unacceptable”, Zogaj says.

At “tension” of reports between the judiciary and the executive also affected the Government of Kosovo's decision to cut salaries for judges and prosecutors, the ruling, which the Constitutional Court in Pristina later imposed on the provisional measure of suspension.

The head of the KDR says that in this situation when he said it, they have consistently been punished in more harsh forms by the government have decided to reduce communication. He even says all judges have already received monthly salaries as they have received for the past five years.

“We are communicating with institutions within the framework of the responsibilities we have under the Constitution and the law, we have decided to have a reduction of communication for joint initiatives because definitely in the situation created we have estimated that we cannot have real communication while we are being punished at the most vulnerable forms possible by the government and other acts of government.... Now I believe that everyone is clear that it is an illegal decision, even a decision in contradiction with the government's own stance that had with the same case, contrary to the Constitutional Court's decision and a verdict contrary to the courts for the courts because judges' salaries have been raised under the law... Salaries have been executed as they have been for 5 years because implementation of the government's decision has been suspended and we hope that we will continue this way until the moment it is decided to increase judiciary salaries”, says KDR leader for Kosovas Prees.

Zogaj for Kosovo Press confirms that during February they will decide on the resignations of Serbian judges, until he emphasises that the situation at the Constitutional Court in Northern Mitrovica has been dealt very carefully.

Zogaj also says those judges have been suspended wages, while disciplinary procedures have also begun against those involved in political activity.

“We have been carefully handling this process, so all judges and staff have been paid only for the days they worked, their salaries have been suspended, this has been the first step, disciplinary procedures have been launched against all judges and staff who have been involved in political activities that conflict with the legal and constitutional responsibilities of the judge's ethics, and they will all take responsibility even in the situation when we would approve all the resignations some would not be approved because some have to take relevant disciplinary measures... We cannot declare free seats for replacing judges without approval of their resignations, so we will have the process of resignations first and then replacing them, adding capacities does not mean that judges have been replaced, not just increased capacity to cope with work and services in this period... I believe they will be treated during February because January is the month of interviews for the new judges in the KDR”, Zogaj points out.

The head of the KDR once again re-exemplifies objections to the process of vetoing constitutional changes, which, according to the Venice Commission's recommendations, would include the KDR leaders, KKP as well as court heads.

According to Zogaj, with this process it is only wasting time to develop justice reform.

While addressing criticism for the Ad-Hock Commission for Self-Secretism, which it says so far has not been invited for discussion, although they are the key institution, even stressing that they will absolutely co-operate with this Commission.

We have rejected discussion of constitutional changes because we think it's not necessary, even now I think it's not necessary... There is little wonder in this process because when you look at the composition of the group there is a complete agreement of the political spectrum for self-preservation in the judiciary, people who disagree on anything agree on the judiciary... We are seeing it as a waste of time reform in the judicial system, the government itself confirmed that it has worked in two years on the discussion on judicial reform, and after two years, what is the result? We are still at zero point of reform in the judiciary, except there is a Venice opinion that can become a reform... Even the approach of the Commission founded by the Parliament, without even prejudging what is the editorial of Venice's opinion the direct and intensive involvement of the KDR, where is the KDR in this discussion...? Absolutely, the KRK cannot remain indifferent to responsibility when it comes to the institution that has the responsibility to reform, everyone can have initiative for us, but ultimately the Assembly decides whether for law or constitutional changes, so we cannot be indifferent to this” process, Zogaj says.

Speaking of the jobs that the Judiciary Council has undertaken last year, the head of this institution, Albert Zogaj, in 2022, considers the most successful over the years.

Zogaj says that during the past year as a justice institution, they have demonstrated high responsibility and efficiency at work.

According to him, actions taken in the past year will cut the length of the course in courts.

“I think it's the most successful year of all years because the identity of the judiciary is first seen, the identity of the judiciary has been presented in the most transparent way the work of the judiciary has been co-ordinated in the most possible way the work of the judiciary with the partners supporting the development of the judiciary is being considered to the best possible extent in which you see the dimension of the judiciary... 2239 reach of the 2022 can ensure that the 2023 year is a year of monitoring where we hope to cut the duration of the course in courts because we have added to the Supreme Court's capacity today, in addition to what the Supreme Court can do today, in order to complete all the 2022s without an end, the files and let you think.... We've added the capabilities to the Appeals Court and I'm pretty sure that at the end of 2023 the duration of the patient's stay at the Court of Appeals will be six months from five years as it was in 2020, which is something extraordinary, we've added the number of judges to all courts without exception of”, he says.

KDR Chief Chairman Albert Zogaj says the challenge for this institution continues to be the quality and return of confidence in the judiciary. And when it comes to this issue, Zogaj points out that tensions created with the government do not contribute to citizens converting to the organs of justice.

Zogaj says that during 2022 The Kosovo Judiciary Council has invested a lot in facilitating services for citizens, enabling citizens to now issue the certificate for criminal status and convey the judicial process through online platforms.