Parliament is expected to amend today the Law on the Status of Judges and Prosecutors, changing the provisions governing the calculation of magistrates’ salaries, which were adopted in 2016 as part of the Justice Reform.
The amendments require a three-fifths majority in Parliament, or at least 84 votes. In addition to the 82 Socialist MPs, Prime Minister Rama also has the support of the three MPs from Tom Doshi’s Social Democratic Party.
The government has refused to implement the mandatory increase in magistrates’ current salaries since July 1, when public-sector salaries across the country were increased.
Under the law, magistrates’ salaries are calculated based on the salary of a director-general at the Prime Minister’s Office. This means that any change in the latter’s salary automatically changes the salaries of magistrates.
The salary of a director-general at the Prime Minister’s Office was increased on July 1, 2026, as part of a reform that raised all public-sector salaries.
However, the government refused to adjust magistrates’ salaries as required by law, arguing that the legislation was unclear on the matter.
Magistrates challenged the issue twice before the Constitutional Court: once over the failure to implement the law on their status and again after the government amended the law to avoid paying their salaries in accordance with that status.
To end the uncertainty, the Constitutional Court issued a final ruling in February this year, determining the reference salary on which the government and Parliament were required to base the legal amendments setting magistrates’ salary levels.
The Court ruled that Parliament had to adopt the legal amendments based on its decision by July 31.
Because Parliament failed to act by that deadline, the High Judicial Council asked the Ministry of Finance to calculate magistrates’ salaries in accordance with the Constitutional Court’s ruling.
The government refused, and the Socialist majority submitted amendments to the Law on the Status of Judges and Prosecutors, which are expected to be adopted today.
The amendments lower the level of salaries of judges and prosecutors by establishing a calculation formula that produces a lower salary than the previous formula.
Magistrates have stated publicly and before parliamentary committees that, if the law is adopted on Thursday, they will challenge it again before the Constitutional Court.
The opposition have said that it will not vote for the Socialists’ proposals.
Shpërndaje te miqtë
