Recent and Current Events
NORTH MACEDONIA - Request for an amicus curiae
20.12.2024
Strasbourg – By letter dated 20 November 2024, the President of the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia requested an Amicus Curiae brief on international and European standards on the use of minority languages in public life and in the judiciary.
The draft joint Amicus curiae brief will be submitted for adoption at the 142nd Plenary Session of the Commission (Venice, 14-15 March 2025).
20.12.2024
By letter dated 3 December 2024, the Minister of Justice of Kosovo, Ms Albulena Haxhiu, has requested the Venice Commission to provide opinions on reforms in the justice sector of Kosovo. These reforms encompass key areas such as:
- the recruitment, performance evaluation, integrity control, and the status of judges and prosecutors;
- the Kosovo Judicial Council;
- the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council;
- the Academy of Justice.
The draft opinions will be submitted for adoption at the 142nd Plenary Session of the Commission (Venice, 14-15 March 2025).
19.12.2024
By letter dated 4 December 2024, the Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine requested an amicus curiae brief of the Venice Commission on alternative (non-military) service.
The draft amicus curiae brief will be submitted for adoption at the 142nd plenary session of the Commission (14-15 March 2025).
12.12.2024 - 12.12.2024
Brussels, 12 December 2024
The President of the Venice Commission, Ms Claire Bazy Malaurie, participated in a hearing on "the Situation of the Rule of Law in the EU" at the Interparliamentary Committee Meeting of the LIBE Commission of the European Parliament.
10.12.2024
On 10 December 2024, the Venice Commission in collaboration with the Central Election Commission of Albania, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’ s project “Strengthening Elections’ Integrity in Albania (SEI)”, and the OSCE Presence in Albania, co-organised a Conference on the topic of the “Depoliticization of electoral administration - the Need for Professional Electoral Workers”. The Conference brought together over 50 participants, including representatives from the CEC, political parties, and civil society organisations. Mr. Saša Zagorc, Substitute member in respect of Slo... read more
10.12.2024
Warsaw 10 December 2024
The President of the Venice Commission, Ms Claire Bazy Malaurie, took part in the XV Warsaw Human Rights Seminar entitled: Role of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights in strengthening democratic institutions on the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe and the 65th anniversary of the European Court of Human Rights (Warsaw, 10 December 2024). She delivered a special address on 'Upholding the rule of law : the Venice Commission's contribution to judicial independence in Europe.'
06.12.2024 - 07.12.2024
Venice, Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista - On 6-7 December 2024 the Venice Commission held its fourth plenary session of the year, with an agenda that included in particular:
Five draft opinions concerning :
- Albania on the implementation of Constitutional Court decisions by Parliament;
- Haiti on possible legislative solutions to conduct future electoral processes;
- Poland on the draft constitutional amendments concerning the Constitutional Tribunal and two draft laws on the Constitutional Tribunal;
- Serbia on the Judicial Academy and draft amen... read more
05.12.2024
Venice, Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista - The 81st meeting of the Council for Democratic Elections was held on 5 December 2024 in Venice, Italy.
The Council held an exchange of views with a representative of the Organization of American States (0AS) and invited the OAS General Secretariat, through the Department of Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO), to become an observer to the Council.
During this meeting, the Council approved:
• the draft Final Opinion on possible legislative solutions to conduct future electoral processes in Haiti;
• the draft Amic... read more
02.12.2024
Tirana - Mr Martin Kuijer, Vice-President of the Venice Commission, participated in a meeting of the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which took place in Tirana, Albania, on 2 and 3 December 2024.
Mr Kuijer participated in a hearing on “The Judicial reform process in Poland and the issues raised in this context”.