Legislation

Draft Constitution 1998

(Adopted on August 4, 1998)

(Document Status on August 4,1998)

(Note: The 1998 Draft Constitution has been approved by parliament on October 21, 1998.)

Article 14

The official language in the Republic of Albania is Albanian.

Article 18

No one may be unjustly discriminated against for reasons such as gender, race, religion, ethnicity, language, political, religious or philosophical beliefs, economic condition, education, social status, or ancestry.

Article 20

Persons who belong to national minorities have the right to exercise in full equality before the law the human rights and freedoms.

They have the right freely to express, preserve and develop their ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identity, to study and to be taught in their mother tongue, as well as unite in organizations and societies for the protection of their interests and identity.

Article 22

(1) Freedom of expression is guaranteed.

(2) The freedom of the press, radio and television are guaranteed.

(3) Prior censorship of the means of mass communication is prohibited.

(4) The law may require the granting of authorization for the operation of radio or television stations.

Article 23

(1) The right to information is guaranteed.

(2) Everyone has the right, in compliance with law, to get information about the activity of state organs, as well as of persons who exercise state functions.

(3) Everybody is given the possibility to follow the meetings of collectively elected organs.

Article 24

(1) Freedom of conscience and of religion is guaranteed.

(2) Everyone is free to choose or to change his religion or beliefs, as well as to express them individually or collectively, in public or private life, through cult, education, practices or the performance of rituals.

(3) No one may be forced to take part or not in a religious community or in religious practices or to make his beliefs or faith public.

Note: The complete text of the Albanian Constitution and further information on the constitutional background of Albania are provided by the International Constitutional Law Project at the University of Wuerzburg.

Article 28

(1) Everyone whose liberty has been taken away has the right to be notified immediately, in a language that he understands, of the reasons for this measure, as well as the accusation made against him. Every person whose liberty has been taken away shall be informed that he has no obligation to make a declaration and has the right to communicate immediately with a lawyer, and he shall also be given the possibility to realize his rights.

Article 31

During a criminal proceeding, everyone has the right:

c) to have the assistance without payment of a translator, when he does not speak or understand the Albanian language;