Authors

Joana Qeleshi

Joana Qeleshi is a lawyer, academic, and legal expert with extensive experience in the judiciary, private legal practice, and higher education. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Qeleshi & Associates, a law firm based in Tirana, and has served as the President of the Albanian Criminal Lawyers Association since January 2026. Prior to entering private practice, Qeleshi served as a judge and subsequently as President of the District Court of Durrës, where she was responsible for both the institutional management of the court and the adjudication of administrative, civil, and commercial cases. She also served as a member of the Judicial Budget Administration Office and was part of the Technical Secretariat of the Parliament of Albania responsible for drafting the Criminal Procedure Code. In her legal practice, she provides legal advice and representation in the areas of criminal law, commercial and corporate law, dispute resolution, energy, environmental law, healthcare, media law, and institutional regulation. Alongside her professional practice, Qeleshi has maintained a strong academic engagement as a lecturer in civil law, civil procedure, criminal procedure, family law, bankruptcy law, and the recognition and enforcement of judicial decisions and arbitral awards. She graduated from the Faculty of Law, University of Tirana, completed her studies at the School of Magistrates as the top-ranked graduate of her class, and is currently a PhD candidate in Civil Law. Her international experience includes professional training and cooperation with the Council of Europe, the Slynn Foundation (United Kingdom), the French National School for the Judiciary (École Nationale de la Magistrature) in Bordeaux, and the T.M.C. Asser Institute in The Hague. Qeleshi is fluent in several foreign languages, including English, Italian, French, German, Greek, and Spanish, combining extensive domestic legal expertise with a well-established international professional profile.

Elona Hoxha

Elona Hoxha has served as Deputy Minister of Justice since October 2025. In this role, she is responsible for leading and coordinating reforms aimed at strengthening Albania's justice institutions and improving the performance of the institutions under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice. Previously, she served as Director of the Directorate for Justice Policies and Strategies within the General Directorate for Justice Policies and Projects, Integration, and Negotiations. After graduating in Economics in 2005 and in Law in 2010, she held various positions within the Ministry of Justice. As part of her responsibilities, she has also been a member of several interministerial working groups, primarily collaborating with public institutions as well as national and international experts supporting projects related to the rule of law and Albania's European integration process. With extensive expertise in policy development and action planning, Ms. Hoxha coordinated the drafting of several key strategic documents, including the Intersectoral Justice Strategy 2021–2025, the Intersectoral Justice Strategy 2024–2030, the Intersectoral Juvenile Justice Strategy 2022–2026, and the Intersectoral Strategy for the Protection of Victims of Crime 2024–2030. She has also been actively involved in processes related to the analysis of statistical data on the justice system, contributing to studies and reports on juvenile justice, legal education, and other justice-related issues. Hoxha has participated in numerous conferences, seminars, and training activities both in Albania and abroad, including those organized by the Council of Europe, CEPEJ, the Hertie School (Berlin, 2023), and the Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA). Since 2013, she has been admitted to practice law as a member of the Tirana Bar Association. She is fluent in English and Italian.

Capt. JUDr. Nin...

Capt. JUDr. Nina Laca, PhD. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Law at the Academy of the Police Force in Bratislava, Slovakia. Combining her active law enforcement background with a rigorous academic focus, she holds the police rank of Captain (kapitán) alongside her advanced legal doctorate (JUDr.) and doctoral research degree (PhD.).Her research specializes in public law, criminal proceedings, and cross-border security initiatives. She actively participates in high-level international research projects funded by the European Commission, including the Horizon Europe framework project CHIMERA, which enhances Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRNe) protection systems. Additionally, she coordinates and presents at international workshops, such as the FULL-PROOF project, focusing on safeguarding procedural rights for suspects and streamlining judicial cooperation across European Union jurisdictions.

Ina Shënplaku

Ina Shënplaku is a lawyer and privacy counsel at Vodafone Albania, with a strong background in law, human rights, and public administration. She holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Tirana and is currently pursuing a PhD. Ina has extensive experience in managing democracy, governance, and innovation projects at national and EU levels, having worked with IDM, AIDA in the Prime Minister’s Office, and the European Enterprise Network. She also lectures on Human Rights at the University of Tirana. Ina has participated in numerous conferences on data protection, digital democracy, and social inclusion.

 

 

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