The President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, pursuant to the constitutional and legal powers, in accordance with the proposal of the Prosecutorial Council, has appointed today, by decree, 40 judges and 13 new state prosecutors from the non-majority community.

President Thaçi, after the oath ceremony, congratulated all the new prosecutors and judges, providing them support in their daily work.

“Kosovo is built on the constitutional principles, the principles of all-inclusiveness, equality and freedom of each individual. Kosovo has adopted adequate measures to promote full and effective equality between community members in all areas of economic, social, political and cultural life”, Thaci said. He added that the enactment of the judges and prosecutors from the non-majority communities fully reflects the multiethnic nature of Kosovo. According to him, Kosovo has consistently made and is making reforms in the judiciary and prosecutorial system, with the sole purpose for the judicial and prosecutorial system to function in the best possible manner. “In this journey, we have also had the support of our international friends, to whom we express our gratitude. The judges and prosecutors have a major role in the lives of the citizens, in realizing their rights and in ensuring equal access to justice, regardless of their gender, racial, religious and national differences”, added the President. He said that “there is a great responsibility on your shoulders, a responsibility that I have full confidence you will know how to keep, while the citizens of our country will feel secure and equal before the law.” “I welcome your readiness to integrate into the Kosovo judiciary and to work in accordance with the Kosovo legislation. Also, I welcome your willingness to exercise the post of the judge, respectively the prosecutor, with honor, responsibility and impartiality, while respecting the rules of professional ethics”, Thaci said. The Kosovo Judicial Council and the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, in accordance with their constitutional and legal responsibilities, have considered their proposal to increase the number of judges and prosecutors from non-majority communities as an affirmative action, as defined by the Constitution, the Law on Protection Against Discrimination and the Justice Agreement, reached in Brussels on February 10, 2015, which is a continuation of the agreement ratified by the Assembly by Law No. 04/L-199. Their enactment is one of the affirmative measures that the institutions of Kosovo undertake to achieve full and effective equality of the community members in all areas of economic, social, political and cultural life. The swearing in act also provides the full implementation of the Justice Agreement reached in Brussels on February 10, 2015.