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Publication Of Albanian Committee Of Helsinki

Legal Charta

" Code Of Ethics Of The Police "

Tirana '98

Sponsored by " Albanian Foundation Of Civil Society "

Law No. 8291, date 25. 02. 1998

Article 1

Code of Ethics of Police is the total of principles and norms upon the basis of which all the police employees of all the sectors in Republic Of Albania express their will and consciousness for the defence of Constitutional Order and the exercise of law, being characterized by humanism, objectivity and cultured behaviour during exercising their duties.

Article 2

Police is in the service of the Public to guard the Order, state and non state Institutions, Public security and to defend freedom and fundamental human rights.

Article  3

During exercising the obligatory tasks charged by the law, the Police employees act honestly and impartially asking for the same obedience to the law by individuals, despite their political or religious faith , their race, social and state positions, nationality, citizenship or the economical conditions they have.

Article  4

Police employees are obliged to keep the uniform according to the rules, there must be clearly recognized in it the special, personal and service signs and the rank as well.

Article  5

Police employees fight determinably against the corruption and abuses in the state tasks they perform and they are obliged to denounce at the chiefs of competent organs every act of such cases.

Article  6

When the police employees recognize law abuse they undertake and perform all law acts to capture the authors of the penal cases, reinstall Public Order and security and to give help to the public.

During accompanying , detaining, and arresting the person involved in crimes, Police employees exercise strictly the legal norms and are categorically prohibited any acts of torture or any other act that damages the personality and dignity of those persons.

Article  7

During exercising the tasks charged upon the Police employees they are determined to introduce to the public with the rank , with their function and to make known the fact why they intervene. They must act full of tact without disturbing the public around.

Article 8

Police employees are responsible in a penal, administrative or civil form, according to the regulation of discipline for the acts, or non acts performed with initiative or against the order, or for performing the given orders not in the  form given by the law or the regulation, or for performing orders given by persons or organs not competent.

Police employee is responsible for performing orders that are clearly against the law. When the order is given formally according to the rules but it is against the law, the police employee is responsible in case that before performing the action he had the possibilities to notify the superior organs, or if after performing that order he hadn't notified these organs.

Article  9

Police employees during  exercising their tasks must show determination and readiness to achieve the defined aim.

Article  10

Police employees never use force against the law requests.

They take and give clear-cut instructions for the way and circumstances when they use fire arms and force.

Article  11

Police employees must preserve the secret of all the duties they perform . They are allowed to declare parts of the secrets of the duties they perform only when they are ordered or when they are authorized in a written form from a superior and competent authority foreseen by the law.

Article 12

When a police employee is asked  to perform an order or duty which is openly against the law, he is obliged to refuse its application and to inform the higher chain of command.

Article  13

The relations between the police employees  are based upon the hierarchic order, in the reciprocal respect and in the respect towards the personality of the employee.

Article  14

Every disagreement for the disciplinary measures given towards the police employee is reconsidered upon his request from a disciplinary commission set up in the organ or in the unit he is a member.

Article  15

The articles of this Code are obligatory for being exercised in any situations.

Article  16

The articles of this Code and the legislation on power linked with the function of the Police are obligatory to be learned and to be assimilated during all the forms of technical and professional preparation of the Albanian Police. Every new employee that enters the ranks of Police undersigns a declaration through which he agrees with the articles of this Code.

Article 17

This law enters in force by the virtue of decree issued by the President of Republic of Albania.

Proclaimed by decree No. 2003 date 27.2. 1998 of the President of republic of Albania Rexhep Meidani