From this Tuesday, May 5, the judicial system in Kosovo has been further strengthened with the operationalization of the Administrative Court, a new specialized institution that will handle administrative disputes and labor-related cases in the public sector.

The acting President, Albulena Haxhiu, who participated in the inauguration, stated that the start of this court’s work is important for the justice system and especially for citizens.

She expressed hope that citizens will come out as winners from this court, while its decisions will serve as a lesson for the state administration.

“Administrative decisions directly affect the lives of the citizens of Kosovo. When we started this work at the Ministry of Justice, we were faced with a well-known problem: the state decides, while the citizen is often forced to wait a long time to understand whether a decision by an institution is fair or lawful. In a democratic republic, an administrative decision cannot leave the citizen without a legal remedy. Even today, in another capacity, I see this court with the same conviction: reform is not measured at the moment it is written into law, but when the citizen begins to feel it in their life. With the opening of the Administrative Court, I strongly hope that the citizen will feel the hand of the state, and I hope that every hand that touches the citizen’s life will be careful and responsible,” Haxhiu added.

The Deputy Chair of the Kosovo Judicial Council, Arjeta Sadiku, emphasized that the Administrative Court will function as an independent, professional, and efficient mechanism for reviewing administrative cases and labor relations.

Meanwhile, the acting Minister of Justice, Donika Gërvalla, attributed the credit for the establishment of this court also to the current acting President, Albulena Haxhiu, noting that during her mandate as Minister of Justice the law on the Administrative Court was finalized.

She said she now expects concrete results, as the court carries a heavy caseload.

Further details on the function and composition of the court were provided by its acting President, Rexhep Gashi.

“It will deal with all administrative disputes, except those under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, as well as all labor disputes between individuals and public bodies, with jurisdiction across the entire territory of Kosovo. The Administrative Court will be organized into four separate departments: the fiscal department, the labor disputes department, the department for state-funded social and pension schemes, and the general department. According to the organogram approved by the Kosovo Judicial Council, the court will have 23 judges, including the president of the court. Currently, with the operationalization of the court from today, 15 judges have been transferred and have started working, while the remaining judges will begin their work from July 1, 2026,” Gashi stated.

The opening of this court was also welcomed by the President of the Supreme Court, Fejzullah Rexhepi, who said it plays a key role in ensuring legal protection for citizens and legal entities against administrative decisions.

Representatives of the EULEX Mission and the European Union Office were also present at the inauguration of the Administrative Court.

The law on the Administrative Court entered into force on February 6, 2026.