Sandër Simoni elected head of Albania’s Supreme Court

Sandër Simoni was elected chairman of the Supreme Court this Friday. After the Supreme Court candidates’ votes were counted, the candidates were tied.

The candidates received an equal number of votes, 179 to 179. The regulations call for a draw, and after the ball draw, judge Sandër Simoni emerged as the winner.

Who is Sandër Simoni?

Sandër Simoni completed his studies at the Faculty of Law in the 1992–1996 academic years. He completed his studies at the School of Magistrates in 1997–2000 and earned the title “Magistrate”. He is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Criminal Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Tirana.

From 1996 to 1997, Simoni worked as an associate judge at the Shkodër District Court. He completed his professional internship as a judge at the Shkodër District Court between 1999 and 2000, where he was appointed judge in 2000.

In December 2003, he was appointed judge at the First Instance Court for Serious Crimes and was meanwhile delegated to the position of court president, later appointed in 2004 and elected to this leading position for several consecutive mandates until December 2019. With the creation of the Special First Instance Court for Corruption and Organized Crime, he was appointed judge at this court and simultaneously its president, a duty he held until March 19, 2021.

He is a part-time lecturer teaching “Criminal Procedure” at the School of Magistrates, an expert, trainer, supervisor of students’ professional practice and research papers at this school.

He is the author of several manuals, mainly on the criminal offences of human trafficking and the protection of trafficking victims, drafted in cooperation with several international organizations; the author of many articles, publications in national and international journals and research papers; and a participant and speaker at many international conferences at home and abroad.

He has taken part in many national and international activities in the field of law, and has meanwhile been a member of many committees, boards and working groups related to legislative changes and projects in the justice sector.