The Journalists' Association of Albania reacts to the delayed announcement of the new Penal Code roundtable. AGSH demands more seriousness and transparency from the institutions.
The Journalists' Association of Albania expresses concern about the manner in which the media was notified regarding tomorrow's activity (September 4, 2025) of the Ministry of Justice and the Working Group on the New Criminal Code. According to the announcement, the new criminal code will be discussed with journalists and the media at the roundtable, but it was sent only 15 hours before the roundtable, which shows a lack of seriousness and transparency in relation to the role of journalists but also with the opportunity for in-depth discussions.
This practice makes it impossible for many editorial offices and journalists to organize professional participation, as it requires time for preparation, verification, and assignment of human and technical resources.
Such last-minute announcements, for such an important process as the discussion of the new Criminal Code, show that the media is seen more as decoration than as a real partner.
We remind the Ministry of Justice that transparency with the public goes through the media, and a comprehensive consultation process cannot be achieved by informing journalists at the last minute, especially when we are an interest group.
We invite institutions to show more seriousness and respect for the role of the media, guaranteeing regular, complete and timely reporting to enable real participation and substantive discussions.
AGSH emphasizes that it will use the Public Consultation platform to send our comments on the new Criminal Code.
