With a two-year delay, the institutions remembered the irena Gjoka Case

The judge's case Irena Gjoka is returning to the public spotlight, this time through institutional processes concerning accountability and transparency in the Albanian judicial system.

The Supreme Judicial Inspection Authority in Albania has initiated disciplinary investigation against the judge of the Special Court of First Instance, examining whether there were acts or omissions related to the failure to declare a conviction by a Greek court in 2005.

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It is noted that the activation of disciplinary mechanisms is carried out with apparent time delay. The existence of a conviction against Irena Gjoka had already been known since March 2024, while about a year later the full content of the decision was made public Court of First Instance of IoanninaNevertheless, the official start of the process comes almost two years after the initial revelations.

The case had previously been examined in the context of a long-running administrative investigation, which was initiated at the request of the Supreme Judicial Council of Albania and lasted about 20 months. The General Prosecutor's Office announced that it had completed the relevant review, without, however, making its conclusions public.

The report was forwarded to the Supreme Judicial Council, which rejected the request for further review of the Gjoka judicial regime. This decision provoked internal reactions, resulting in a request for the intervention of the Judicial Inspection Authority.

At the same time, the Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime has opened criminal proceedings following a lawsuit filed by lawyer Adriana Kalaja, regarding the alleged concealment of a conviction related to the forgery of official documents.

Irena Gjoka has previously undergone the judicial review process, which resulted in her remaining on the judiciary, as the relevant decision was ratified after the Public Commissioner's appeal was withdrawn.

The allegations gained wider publicity after the judge signed the security measures against the former prime minister. Sali Berisha in the context of the "Partizani" case, which intensified the political controversy surrounding her. The same judge had a central role in his own Fredis Beleris.

The development of the case no longer concerns only the specific judge, but raises broader questions about the effectiveness and reliability of the judicial oversight Mechanisms in Albania and about the much-discussed judicial reform which is a prerequisite for the country's european integration.