Acting Chief Judge of the Administrative Court, Rexhep Gashi, said that the operationalization of this court last week represents a major step toward the rule of law, increased legal certainty, and the advancement of judicial protection for citizens and businesses in relation to public administration.

Gashi made these comments during a discussion organized by the American Chamber of Commerce on the occasion of the operationalization of the Administrative Court.

“I consider that the operationalization of this court represents a major step toward the rule of law, increasing legal certainty and advancing judicial protection for citizens and businesses in relation to public administration. The primary role of the Administrative Court itself is the oversight of public administration activities, and this oversight will be carried out through the judicial protection that the court will provide to all parties who address the court,” Gashi said, reports KosovaPress.

Meanwhile, the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo, Arian Zeka, said that the establishment of the Administrative Court last week is one of the biggest developments of this year regarding the judicial architecture in the country.

“The establishment and operationalization of the Administrative Court last week is one of the biggest developments of this year regarding the change of Kosovo’s judicial architecture. Legal matters and legal certainty for investors are not abstract concepts, but issues they experience on a regular basis, and consequently increasing efficiency, as intended with the establishment of the new court, falls as one of the heaviest responsibilities both on the Administrative Court as an institution and on its leadership,” he said.

Experienced lawyer Vjosa Shkodra stated that businesses are looking toward the Administrative Court because of their demands to avoid bureaucracy and instead have predictability and a clear address where such disputes can be handled.

Shkodra said she fears that the Administrative Court will also be burdened by old pending cases, but added that the good news is that experienced judges will be transferred there.

Meanwhile, Agon Drini from “Kerveshi & Partners” said that the establishment of the Administrative Court represents the cornerstone of this year’s justice reform, together with the Commercial Court, in the direction of establishing a more consolidated commercial and administrative justice system.

Until the establishment of the Administrative Court, administrative disputes were handled by other courts. Until 2013, they were handled by the Supreme Court, while after the 2013 reforms, part of the administrative disputes were transferred to the Basic Court in Prishtina, Department for Administrative Matters.