May 3, 2012 – Kosovo Law Institute (KLI) has carefully followed the process of selecting candidates for judges at the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo, which will be voted by the deputies of the Kosovo Assembly to be subsequently appointed by the President of the country.
KLI expresses concern regarding some of the candidates selected by the Special Committee for reviewing the candidacies for judges at the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo. Without elaborating a process that has been kept away from the eyes of the public and the media and political influences in the selection of current candidates for constitutional judge, KLI believes that professional quality and personal and independent credibility from the political influences of some of the selected candidates is unacceptable to the level required for the Constitutional Court and the duties they must perform during their mandate. Some of the candidates selected to be voted by the deputies of the Kosovo Assembly are close figures and have been holders of clean political functions especially in recent years.
KLI does not agree with the selection of the candidacies, which if they are to be voted and appointed by the President of the Republic, with their proven professional level in the field of justice, cannot be a worthy holder of constitutional protection in Kosovo. The KLI estimates that candidates to be offered for voting before the people’s elected should reflect the highest level of professionalism in the field of justice in Kosovo.
The KLI expresses deep concern that how is it possible for the entire community of jurists that Kosovo has, to propose these candidates to the Constitutional Court before the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo. Finally, the KLI suggests that the deputies of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo do not fall under the influence of political calculations through which they will vote for appointment, candidates for judges at the Constitutional Court, whose decisions in the future may be detrimental and irreparable, endangering the legal security, the political and social stability of the country.