[PDF] THE BULLETIN - Venice Commission

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THE BULLETIN

The Bulletin is a publication of the European Commission for Democracy through Law. It reports regularly on the case-law of constitutional courts and courts of equivalent jurisdiction in Europe, including the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Communities, as well as in certain other countries of the world. The Bulletin is published three times a year, each issue reporting the most important case-law during a four months period (volumes numbered 1 to 3). Its aim is to allow judges and constitutional law specialists to be informed quickly about the most important judgments in this field. The exchange of information and ideas among old and new democracies in the field of judge-made law is of vital importance. Such an exchange and such cooperation, it is hoped, will not only be of benefit to the newly established constitutional courts, but will also enrich the case-law of the existing courts. The main purpose of the Bulletin on Constitutional Case-law is to foster such an exchange and to assist national judges in solving critical questions of law which often arise simultaneously in different countries. The Commission is grateful to liaison officers of constitutional and other equivalent courts, who regularly prepare the contributions reproduced in this publication. As such, the summaries of decisions and opinions published in the Bulletin do not constitute an official record of court decisions and should not be considered as offering or purporting to offer an authoritative interpretation of the law. The decisions are presented in the following way:

1. Identification

a) country or organisation b) name of the court c) chamber (if appropriate) d) date of the decision e) number of decision or case f) title (if appropriate) g) official publication h) non-official publications

2. Keywords of the Systematic Thesaurus (primary)

3. Keywords of the alphabetical index (supplementary)

4. Headnotes

5. Summary

6. Supplementary information

7. Cross-references

8. Languages

G. Buquicchio Secretary of the European Commission for Democracy through Law

THE VENICE COMMISSION

The European Commission for Democracy through Law, also known as the Venice Commission, was established in 1990 pursuant to a Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe. It is a consultative body which co-operates with member States of the Council of Europe and with non-member States. It is composed of indepen- dent experts in the fields of law and political science whose main tasks are the following: - to help new Central and Eastern Europe democracies to set up new political and legal infrastructures; - to reinforce existing democratic structures; - to promote and strengthen principles and institutions which represent the bases of true democracy. The activities of the Venice Commission comprise, inter alia, research, seminars and legal opinions on issues of constitutional reform, electoral laws and the protection of minorities, as well as the collection and dissemination of case-law in matters of constitutional law from Constitutional Courts and other courts.

Secretariat of the Venice Commission

Council of Europe

F-67075 STRASBOURG CEDEX

Tel: (33) 3 88413908 - Fax: (33) 3 88413738

Venice@coe.int

Editors: Sc. R. Dürr, D. Bojic-Bultrini H. Moore, P. Greenhill J. Farmer, M.-L. Wigishoff Liaison officers: Albania ..................................... S. Sadushi / L. Pirdeni Andorra .......................................... M. Tomàs Baldrich Argentina ......................... H. Masnatta / R. E. Gialdino Armenia .................................................... G. Vahanian Austria .................................................... R. Huppmann Azerbaijan ................................................... R. Guliyev Belgium ................... A. Rasson Roland / R. Ryckeboer Bosnia and Herzegovina .......................... D. Kalember Bulgaria ......................................................... K. Manov Canada ...................................................... C. Marquis Croatia ................................................................ T. Kic Cyprus ............................................................. P. Kallis Czech Republic ............................................................ ................. E. Wagnerova / A. Mácová / S. Matochová Denmark ............................................. M. M. Petersen Estonia ....................................................... P. Roosma Finland ............................. M. Könkkölä / P. Pietarinen France ............................................................. M. Pauti Georgia .................................................. L. Bodzashvili Germany ............................. R. Jaeger / W. Rohrhuber Greece ................. K. Menoudakos / O. Papadopoulou Hungary ................................. P. Paczolay / K. Kovács Iceland ...................................................... H. Torfason Ireland ............................................................ J. Dalton Israel ............................................................. Y. Mersel Italy .......................................................... G. Cattarino Japan ............................................................ N. Onishi Kazakhstan .................................................. N. Akujev Korea ............................................................ S. D. Kim Kyrgyzstan ........................................ K. E. Esenkanov Latvia ........................................................... Liechtenstein .................................................. I. Elkuch Lithuania .................................................. S. Staiokas Luxembourg ....................................................... G. Kill Malta ................................................................. A. Ellul Moldova ........................................................... M. Iuga Netherlands ..................................... S. Van Den Oever Norway .............................................. A. M. Samuelson Poland .............................................................. H. Plak Portugal ................................................ A. Duarte Silva Romania ............................................ G. Dragomirescu Russia ........................................................ E. Pyrickov Slovakia ................................................. R. Prochazka Slovenia ....................................................... A. Mavi South Africa ..... S. Luthuli / K. O'Regan / S. Budlender Spain .................................................. I. Borrajo Iniesta Sweden ............................. M. Ahrling / M. Palmstierna Switzerland ........... P. Tschümperlin / J. Alberini-Boillat The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ............ .................................................................. B. Mircevski Turkey ........................................................... B. Sözen Ukraine ............................... V. Ivaschenko / I. Shevliak United Kingdom .............. K. Schiemann / N. De Marco United States of America .. F. Lorson / S. Rider / P. Krug

European Court of Human Rights ............................................................... N. Sansonetis

Court of Justice of the European Communities ................................................ Ph. Singer

Strasbourg, February 2003

CONTENTS

Albania ....................................................................... 5 Argentina .................................................................. 13 Armenia .................................................................... 15 Austria ...................................................................... 17 Azerbaijan ................................................................ 19 Belgium .................................................................... 22 Bosnia and Herzegovina .......................................... 28 Bulgaria .................................................................... 28 Canada .................................................................... 30 Croatia ..................................................................... 33 Cyprus ...................................................................... 48 Czech Republic ........................................................ 49 Estonia ..................................................................... 56 Finland ............................................................... 58, 59 France ...................................................................... 59 Georgia .................................................................... 63 Hungary ................................................................... 65 Israel ........................................................................ 68 Japan ....................................................................... 71 Kazakhstan .............................................................. 72 Latvia ....................................................................... 73 Liechtenstein ............................................................ 79 Lithuania .................................................................. 80 Moldova ................................................................... 90 Norway ..................................................................... 94 Poland ...................................................................... 95 Portugal .................................................................. 105 Romania ................................................................. 109 Slovakia ................................................................. 114 Slovenia ................................................................. 117 South Africa ........................................................... 124 Sweden .................................................................. 132 Switzerland ............................................................ 132 The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia .... 135 Turkey .................................................................... 139 Ukraine ................................................................... 141 United Kingdom ..................................................... 148 United States of America ....................................... 150 European Court of Human Rights .......................... 156 Systematic thesaurus ............................................. 173 Alphabetical index .................................................. 191

Albania

5

Albania

Constitutional Court

Statistical data

1 January 2001 31 December 2001

Number of decisions: 213

Ɣ decisions as to admissibility: 207

admissible: 93 inadmissible: 114

Ɣ final decisions: 93

appeal dismissed: 53 appeals upheld: 40

Ɣ appeals withdrawn: 6

Effects:

Ɣ ex tunc: 0

Ɣ ex nunc: 213

Ɣ erga omnes: 213

Ɣ inter partes: 0

Ɣ immediate: 0

Ɣ deferred: 0

Types of provisions reviewed:

Ɣ Constitution: 2

Ɣ laws: 26

Ɣ international treaties: 0

Ɣ decisions of the Council of Ministers: 3

Ɣ judicial decisions: 111

Ɣ other administrative acts: 71

Constitutional review:

Ɣ preventive review (a priori): 0

Ɣ a posteriori review:

concrete review: 212 abstract review: 1

Types of litigation:

Ɣ fair trial: 166

Ɣ conflict of powers: 0

Ɣ electoral disputes: 58

Ɣ constitutionality of political parties: 0

Ɣ impeachment: 0

Ɣ constitutionality of acts by the executive: 3

Ɣ constitutionality of laws: 26

Ɣ interpretation of the Constitution: 2

Ɣ end of office of constitutional judge: 0

Proceedings initiated by:

Ɣ President of the Republic: 0

Ɣ Prime Minister: 1

Ɣ Group of Deputies: 0

Ɣ High State Council: 1

Ɣ

Ɣ Ordinary Courts: 2

Ɣ Organs of Local Government: 9

Ɣ Organs of Religious Communities: 0

Ɣ Political Parties and other Organisations: 28

Ɣ Individuals: 166

Important decisions

Identification: ALB-2002-1-001

a) Albania / b) Constitutional Court / c) / d)

08.11.2001 / e) 178 / f) Legitimacy of Ombudsman to

request the review of the constitutionality of the legislative act / g) Fletorja Zyrtare (Official Gazette),

52/2001, 1676 / h) CODICES (English).

Keywords of the systematic thesaurus:

1.2.1.8 Constitutional Justice Types of claim

Claim by a public body Ombudsman.

1.3.5.5 Constitutional Justice Jurisdiction The

subject of review Laws and other rules having the force of law.

1.3.5.13 Constitutional Justice Jurisdiction The

subject of review Administrative acts.

1.4.9.1 Constitutional Justice Procedure Parties

Locus standi.

3.4 General Principles Separation of powers.

4.12.3 Institutions Ombudsman Powers.

Keywords of the alphabetical index:

Ombudsman, legislative act, challenging, locus standi.

Headnotes:

the subjects that may challenge legislative acts before the Constitutional Court. This institution enjoys the right only to make recommendations and not a general right to petition the Constitutional Court concerning such acts. It can refer questions concerning the constitutionality of a legislative act to the Court only when such an act affects its organisa- tional structure or impedes the exercise of the administration when he considers that they infringe

Albania

6

Summary:

A commercial company p

Advocate alleging the unconstitutionality of the statute applied by a court in a dispute between this company case before the Constitutional Court. However, the Court rejected the application on the grounds that the applicant had no locus standi. Advocate may only address the Constitutional Court for cases regarding the abrogation of public administrative acts if he comes to the conclusion that these acts have led to the infringement of the 3HRSOH