Joint Programme

Horizontal Facility

A delegation of judges from the Supreme Court of Albania visited the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. This study-visit, organised by the Supreme Court of Albania with the support of European Union and Council of Europe, enhanced judicial co-operation and fostered new opportunities for sharing expertise and best practices between the two courts.

During the visit, Albanian judges discussed key aspects of strengthening judicial practice, in line with European standards. Topics included the effective application of the European Convention on Human Rights by domestic courts and the importance of well-reasoned decisions to ensure legal certainty. These exchanges provided the delegation with practical insights and encouraged a deeper shared understanding of how domestic courts, and the European Court can address common challenges.

The delegation attended the Grand Chamber hearing in the case Tergek vs. Türkiye and exchanged views with judges and members of the Registry on issues such as subsidiarity, the role of domestic courts in preventing Convention violations as well as pre-trial detention and asset-based measures in criminal proceedings.

The visit encouraged direct dialogue and practical learning, marking an important step in enhancing co-operation between Albanian and European judicial institutions. This visit further supports the efforts to ensure protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Albania in line with European standards.

The Supreme Court of Albania provided the principal support for the visit. In this framework, the Action on Improving the protection of the right to property and facilitating execution of ECtHR judgments in Albania (D-REX III), part of the European Union and the Council of Europe joint programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye , also supported opportunities for dialogue and exchange between delegation of the Supreme Court of Albania and judges of the European Court, notably during a joint roundtable held on 5 March.