From 23 to 25 May 2022, members of the Albanian High Judicial Council visited members of the High Council of Magistracy of Portugal. The study visit focused primarily on the experience of the Portuguese Council’s role in protecting judicial independence, its internal organization, procedures and activities of its permanent committees with specific focus on strategic planning, organization of case management, judicial disciplinary procedure and judicial performance evaluation.

The Albanian delegation also met with the President of the Portuguese Supreme Court, who is also the ex officio President of the High Council of Magistracy and visited the Training Centre for Judicial Administration and the District Court of Lisbon.  The delegation was able to discuss the introduction of a new electronic case management system.

This study visit was organised within the framework of the joint European Union/Council of Europe action “Strengthening the Efficiency and Quality of Justice in Albania” (SEJ III), which is part of the joint programme entitled "Horizontal Facility of the Western Balkans and Turkey II", co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.