Pristina, 25 March 2015
Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, along with the European Union Commissioner for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, made an official inauguration of the new building within the Palace of Justice in Pristina.
In the official ceremony held on this occasion, was present the President of the Republic of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, other high local and international dignitaries, as well as officials and employees of the justice system in Kosovo.
Following is the full speech of Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and the Commissioner Hahn, in the ceremony.
Speech of Prime Minister Mustafa:
Honoured Commissioner Han,
Honoured representatives of EU and other Embassies, Ministers, representatives of Judicial system,
Honoured present,
Today we are gathered here in a unique place and for an event as important, as well as special, not only for Pristina, but for Kosovo wide. Itself the design of this building gives one the feeling of being in any EU country.
I am very happy that, today, jointly inaugurating the Palace of Justice, a major project, implemented and co-financed by the European Union and the Government of the Republic of Kosovo.
Hereby, I would like to express my gratitude to the Commissioner Han for his presence today, and to the European Union’s continued support provided to Justice System in the Republic of Kosovo.
The European Union provide great contribution to the establishment and strengthening of the Justice System in Kosovo, in various forms, through assistance in capacity building through EULEX Mission, IPA projects etc.
We are extremely grateful for this constant provided support.
The Palace of Justice was designed and planned time ago, no doubt, such major projects require inter-institutional cooperation. Therefore, I would like to express our gratitude to all stakeholders involved in the implementation and functioning of this Palace.
This Palace, constructed under highest European standards, provides a great environment for carrying out courts and prosecution functions, same time allows citizens easier access to Justice Institutions.
As planned, 4 buildings within the Palace of Justice, will accommodate the Basic Court of Pristina, the Appellate Court and Supreme Court, as well as the respective Prosecution Offices, including EULEX staff.
The next step, as the most important one, remains the materialization of investments made by European Union, as well as the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, in order to have a more efficient proceeding of cases and to built professionalism in the entire justice system of the Republic of Kosovo.
As a Government, we are committed to provide our support to the further development of the justice system of the country. Government Programme 2015-2018 outlined our commitment in combating crime and corruption, terrorism and all other negative phenomena in our country, by providing government support as a priority. We are committed that the rule of law is uncompromised.
Let this serve as new momentum to the Justice system in Kosovo, which will affect the further strengthening of the Justice System.
And finally, I would like to congratulate all the staff already accommodated and to be accommodated in the Palace of Justice, calling for an effective use of it, in order to enable citizens an easier access to the Justice Institutions.
Congratulation,
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Speech of Commissioner Hahn – Palace of Justice in Kosovo
Good morning Prime Minister Mustafa, Ministers, your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to all of you present this morning at this impressive site just outside Pristina. I am very glad to be here today. I have heard much about this Palace of Justice and I am very pleased to have the opportunity today to finally see it with my own eyes.
Actually, this Palace of Justice does not look at all like what I had in mind when thinking of a palace of justice, or like the pictures you will find on the internet. In fact, it looks much better.
The plans for this project date back to 2008. Together we agreed that there was a lack of adequate judicial infrastructure and the European Union supported Kosovo in this large project as an integral part of its efforts to help strengthen the rule of law. The five buildings we are opening today will house the basic court of Pristina, the Pristina basic prosecution and appeal offices, the court of appeals, the supreme court, the constitutional court, and of course the embedded EULEX judges, prosecutors and staff. It represents a multi-million Euro investment of which the EU paid over 25 million and Kosovo 5. Building work started in 2011 and was completed at the end of last year.
I am impressed by the work that has been put into the making this site largely operational in a short space of time. I understand a majority of the court and prosecution staff have already moved into the building, and hearings and trials are being conducted in the adequately furbished court rooms. One can therefore say that the ‘court is in session’! I congratulate you on this remarkable achievement.
It is important that now Kosovo lives up to the commitment of putting the final touches into the work and, crucially, complete its security infrastructure.
Let us now move from talking about the buildings to talking about the actual work that needs to be done in them. The rule of law is the cornerstone on which the EU is founded. Those aspiring to join the
Union need to promote the proper functioning of the core institutions that secure the rule of law. The rule of law is a crucial democratic value but also equally important for a stable business environment, providing legal certainty for economic operators, supporting consumers and stimulating investments, jobs and growth. Building-up rule of law is an investment in your future and will contribute to creating an economic perspective for your people, especially the younger generations. A functioning, impartial and independent judiciary is an asset that no stable and prosperous country can do without.
The Kosovo constitution enshrines the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. It is important that these principles are implemented in practice. This requires the independence of the judicial and prosecutorial councils, good legal education, proper appointment and dismissal procedures, evaluation and performance criteria, disciplinary procedures. And it also demands accountability, efficiency and quality in the delivery of justice.
The EU is supporting the building of an independent judiciary in Kosovo. A key building block is this palace of justice, which underpins the efforts for the further development and strengthening of the rule of law in Kosovo. We will continue to support Kosovo in this effort. We need to continue to work on this together, not only with politicians and other decision-makers but also with the practitioners of justice, i.e. the judges, the prosecutors and their staff.
Ladies and gentlemen, this magnificent building is now ready. The judiciary in Kosovo now has a home. You now have the opportunity and the obligation to make good use of it and to show the citizens of Kosovo that you can deliver justice.
Congratulations and good luck.
Last modified: July 31, 2022