Remarks by U.S. Ambassador Marcie B. Ries National Judicial Conference (December 7, 2006)

Good Morning President Moisiu, Justice Kondi, Minister, fellow Ambassadors, Members of the National Judicial Conference. Let me also add my greetings and well wishes for a successful conference over the next two days.

I am very happy that we have representatives from the U.S. judiciary here and I want to say, Gentlemen, I appreciate your hard work and commitment that you have shown in assisting the Albanian judiciary.

Judge Walker, I think, explained very well in his letter, the importance of this organization to the importance of the judiciary and I agree with all of his points.

There are few things more important to a free and democratic society than an independent system of justice.

For us Americans, the concept of the separation of powers is enshrined in our Constitution and we feel especially supportive of your efforts in this regard.

The agenda that you have set for yourselves for the next two days is an ambitious one and I commend you for not shirking from addressing hard subjects.

As you begin your deliberations, I would like to offer a few observations on some of these issues.

First, openness and transparency. To win and preserve the public trust, institutions must function with honesty and integrity. To gain the faith of the citizens, the judiciary must make sure that the process is open and transparent to all.

I understand that work is underway to make it possible to hold judicial proceedings is to hold them in a courtroom that is open to the public, including the media. This is a good initiative and deserves support.

Education is critical to maintaining the standards of your profession and I want to take a moment to acknowledge the contribution of the Magistrates School. We look forward to continued cooperation with the school.

It is appropriate that you discuss judicial ethics and integrity because, as members of the judiciary, you are held by society to a very high standard.

In our culture, going back thousands of years, judges have held a special place in society -- outside the political fray -- and respected for their knowledge and wisdom. We recognize this special role by addressing judges as "your honor."

It follows that even a single corrupt and unethical judge can dishonor the entire profession, and there should be no tolerance for them.

I strongly commend you for the work you have done on development internal ethical standards. It is important to continue to strengthen the reputation and standards of your profession by internal mechanisms.

It is also important to vigorously investigate and discipline corruption and other ethical violations to the fullest extent possible. Only through your own efforts will the goal of a strong, independent, and principled judiciary be met.

Continued cooperation between the inspectorate of the High Council of Justice and the High Inspectorate for the Declaration and Control of Assets (HIDA) is also important.

It is clear that there is a desire in this country to deal with the problem of corruption generally.

As we all know, this is a very difficult challenge. All of you - the National Judicial Conference, the High Council of Justice, the General Prosecutor’s Office, the National Chamber of Advocates, and the Ministries of Justice and the Interior - all have a crucial role to play.

These are all difficult and challenging issues but they are also areas in which you and your organization have and I hope will continue to exercise real leadership.

So, with that in mind, I want to convey to you my very best wishes for success as you begin your deliberations at this very important conference.