The Supreme Court has officially opened the procedure for the election of the new president, who will replace Sokol Sadushi after the end of his three-year mandate.
Sadushi was elected to the position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on October 17, 2023, while his term ends on October 17 of this year. The new procedure was opened 60 days before the end of the term, according to legal provisions.
Interested judges must submit their candidacies by September 11, 2026. Each candidate must submit a written application and personal platform on how they intend to lead the highest institution of judicial power.
After the closing of candidacies, the procedure will continue according to the rules approved by the High Judicial Council in 2023.
The President is elected by the General Meeting of Judges of the Supreme Court, from among its members, by secret ballot.
According to the law on the status of judges and prosecutors, the term of office of the President of the Supreme Court is three years, without the right to re-election.
The new President is expected to begin his duties on October 18, 2026, one day after the end of Sokol Sadushi's mandate, in order to avoid any interruption in the leadership of the Supreme Court.
Sadushi will continue to serve as a member of the Supreme Court until 2029, having been appointed as a judge in 2020, and the mandate of a member of the Supreme Court lasts 9 years.