‘Court hearings will be broadcast live’, Rama: Pre-trial detention harms national dignity because…

The Code of Criminal Procedure is expected to change in 105 articles, with interventions touching on security measures and pre-trial detention, the rights of the parties during investigation and trial, evidence and the way it is administered, the preliminary hearing, the presumption of innocence, the publicity of hearings and the protection of personal data.

According to the new package presented by the government, for criminal offences with a maximum punishment of under 5 years the “prison arrest” measure will not be imposed, and pregnant women, mothers with children under 6 and fathers who are the sole carers of their children will not be sent to prison cells either.

The changes also foresee that, at the request of the parties, court hearings can be broadcast live. Prime Minister Edi Rama put the emphasis on limiting pre-trial detention, describing as a “harm to national dignity” the fact that, according to him, Albania has become the “black sheep of Europe” for its high figures. Rama said prison should be the last alternative and that the court must argue every restriction of the individual’s liberty.