May 27, Prishtina – Today, the Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS) hosted a Roundtable Discussion in Prishtina to release the ACT NOW Annual Report titled “Institutional Handling of Corruption Cases: Challenges of the Judicial System Over One Year”. Supported by the European Union, this report highlights the key challenges, setbacks, and institutional responses observed during a year-long monitoring of Kosovo’s judicial system, focusing particularly on cases of corruption and organized crime. The report is based on regular monitoring of court sessions and analysis of judgments from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024.

The ACT NOW Annual Report includes data from the monitoring of 458 court hearings, of which 322 were held, and 127 were delayed or canceled. Additionally, it analyzes 143 judgments published by the Judicial Council of Kosovo. The main findings are as follows:

• A high number of canceled or delayed hearings significantly contribute to the delay in resolving corruption cases.
• The primary reasons for these delays include the absence of trial parties and the courts’ failure to issue arrest warrants. Technical and administrative issues, such as a lack of key personnel and poor planning, also cause many session failures.
• The Basic Court of Prishtina had the highest number of published judgments (43), followed by the Basic Courts of Mitrovica and Gjilan (25 each).
• The average time to resolve corruption cases was 688 days, with notable regional variations.
• Out of 143 verdicts, 89 were guilty. Of these, 51 resulted in fines, 9 in prison sentences, 6 in both prison and fines, and 1 in a fine and conditional imprisonment. Complementary penalties, such as banning individuals from public administration roles, were rarely applied.

At the event’s outset, GLPS Executive Director Dr. Arbëresha Loxha Stublla thanked the participants and panelists for their contributions. She also introduced the project “Supporting Public Administration Reform and Rule of Law through Fighting Corruption and Improving Service Delivery – ACT NOW,” highlighting GLPS’s efforts in monitoring the handling of corruption cases. Nicola Scaramuzzo, Leader of the Rule of Law Team at the EU Office in Kosovo, emphasized the EU’s commitment to combating organized crime and corruption by funding both national civil society organizations and international projects.

Deputy Minister of Justice, Vigan Qorrolli, stated that addressing corruption is a priority for the Ministry of Justice, which is being pursued through new anti-corruption legislation and advancements in the vetting process. Kosovo Police representative Fidan Haliti stressed the need for punitive policies to be consistent with the law to effectively combat corruption.

GLPS will continue to monitor and report on the progress and challenges of Kosovo’s judicial system, aiming to enhance transparency and efficiency in handling cases of corruption and organized crime.

Venue: Hotel Swiss Diamond, Sq. Mother Theresa, 10000 Prishtina, Republic of Kosovo