Ukraine - Roundtable on judicial independence
20/12/2011 - 21/12/2011
Kyiv - Participation of the Venice Commission in a roundtable on judicial independence organised by the OSCE/ODIHR, the National Commission on Strengthening Democracy and the rule of law and the USAID FAIR project.
19/12/2011
Council of Europe, Strasbourg - The President of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Dick Marty submitted to the Venice Commission a decision of the Committee, taken at its meeting on 15 December 2011 in Paris, to ask the Venice Commission for an opinion on five Russian Federal laws:
1. The Federal Law on the FSB
2. The Federal Law on meetings, rallies, marches and pickets
3. The Federal Law on counteraction to extremist activities
4. The Federal Law on political parties
5. The Federal Law on election of the deputies o... read more
16/12/2011 - 17/12/2011
The Venice Commission will issue opinions on the legislation of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Serbia and Ukraine.
Themes to be addressed include:
• Albania - the electoral law and the electoral practice in Albania requested by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe,
• Armenia - alternative service; legal regime of state of emergency;
• Azerbaijan – political parties;
• Bosnia and Herzegovina - internal affairs of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and internal affairs of the Sarajevo Canton;
• Georgia - ... read more
Belarus - Request for opinion by PACE
15/12/2011 - 15/12/2011
The President of the Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe requested an opinion on the compatibility with universal human rights standards of the amended "Law on mass events in the Republic of Belarus", that entered into force on 27.11.2011
Request by the PACE - Electoral matters - Democratic character of elections
15/12/2011
The Political Affairs Committee of the PACE requests a contribution of the Venice Commission to the report on "Measures to improve the democratic character of elections in the member states of the Council of Europe".
Parliamentary Assembly - Participation to the work of the Political Affairs Committee
14/12/2011
Paris - The Venice Commission takes part in the work of the Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe when dealing with:
- Measures to improve the democratic character of elections in the Council of Europe member states;
- the situation in Belarus.
Morocco - Training session of Ombudsmens' collaborators Members of the Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen
13/12/2011 - 15/12/2011
Rabat - `The powers of the mediator and the ombudsman in the defence of Human Rights ´.This training is intended for collaborators working in institutions of mediation that are members of the AOM and feel the need of a technical support. It will be conducted in English and Arabic.
Armenia - Electoral matters - Workshop related to the latest amendments to the electoral code of Armenia
12/12/2011 - 13/12/2011
Yerevan - Upon invitation by the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia, the Venice Commission takes part in a workshop related to the latest amendments to the electoral code of Armenia.
Georgia - Freedom of assembly - round table
08/12/2011 - 09/12/2011
Tbilisi - on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day the Commission participates in a round table entitled “Freedom of Peaceful Assembly: Law and Practice”, co-organised by the Office of the Public Defender of Georgia, the Council of Europe Office in Georgia, the Regional Presence of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in the South Caucasus and with support from the United Nations Development Program
Role of public prosecutors outside the criminal field
07/12/2011 - 08/12/2011
Council of Europe, Strasbourg - Participation of the Venice Commission in the 4th Meeting of the group of specialists on the role of public prosecutors outside the criminal field.
Constitutional Reform in the Arab World
02/12/2011
Berlin - the Secretary of the Commission participates in the workshop on "The Challenge of Constitutional Reform in the Arab World", organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany
Request for a study - Congress - Criteria for standing for local and regional elections
02/12/2011
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe asks the Venice Commission to study the criteria for standing for local and regional elections.
Russian Federation - Parliamentary elections - Legal assistance to the observation mission of the Parliamentary Assembly
01/12/2011 - 05/12/2011
Moscow - At the request of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Venice Commission ensures legal assistance to the Election Observation Mission of the Assembly in the context of the parliamentary elections of 4 December 2011.
01/12/2011
Council of Europe, Strasbourg – meeting between the President of the Venice Commission Mr G.Buquicchio, the Secretary of the Commission, Mr T.Markert, and the Minister of Justice of Turkey, Mr Sadullah Ergin.
Constitutional Justice - Andorra
01/12/2011 - 03/12/2011
Andorra la Vella - The Constitutional Court of Andorra will organise its 4th international constitutional conference on "The Constitutional Courts and the Legal Community: what about dialogue?".
Serbia - Constitutional Justice
29/11/2011
Belgrade - A delegation of the Commission will meet with the Ministry of Justice and the Constitutional Court in the framework of the preparation of an opinion on amendments to the Law on the Constitutional Court.
European Union - Turkey
28/11/2011 - 29/11/2011
EP, Brussels – The President of the Commission is invited to participate in the 67th meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee
Colloquium on the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina
26/11/2011 - 29/11/2011
Cadenabbia, Italy – The Secretary of the Commission attends the Colloquium entitled "Is the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina EU-compatible?", organised by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
Morocco - Parliamentary elections - Assistance to the election observation mission of the Parliamentary Assembly
22/11/2011 - 26/11/2011
At the request of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Venice Commission ensures legal assistance to the Election Observation Mission of the Assembly in the context of the parliamentary elections (25 November 2011).
Round Table of Russian Regional Ombudsmen - Samara, Russian Federation - Report "Relations between the Ombudsmen and the Judiciary"
22/11/2011 - 23/11/2011
Central Asia - Round table on the electoral law of Tajikistan
22/11/2011 - 23/11/2011
Dushanbe - The Venice Commission in cooperation with the Judicial Training Centre to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tajikistan organises for staff of Central and Regional Elections Commissions a Round table on the development and improvement of the electoral system of Tajikistan and international standards of elections.
This activity is organised in the framework of the Joint Programme of the European Commission and the Council of Europe "EU - Central Asia Rule of Law Initiative".
Russia - Round Table of the Russian Regional Ombudsmen
22/11/2011 - 23/11/2011
Samara - The Venice Commission participates in a round table on “Promoting independent national non-judicial mechanisms for the protection of human rights, especially for the prevention of torture”, organised in the framework of the Joint European Union – Council Of Europe Programme “Peer-to-Peer II Project”.
17/11/2011 - 18/11/2011
Podgorica - The Venice Commission is invited to assess the constitutional reform conducted in the judicial field in Montenegro
"Europe’s Human Security Concerns in Central Asia" – international seminar
16/11/2011
Berlin - The Secretary of the Venice Commission attended a seminar entitled “Europe’s Human Security Concerns in Central Asia”. It was organised by the Open Society Foundation’s Central Eurasia Project (CEP) and FRIDE’s Europe Central Asia Monitoring (EUCAM) programme
Armenia – Country visit – forthcoming opinion – Alternative service
15/11/2011 - 16/11/2011
Yerevan - A delegation of the Venice Commission will be in Yerevan for an exchange of views on the draft Law on amendments and additions to the Law on alternative service.
The opinion of the Venice Commission was requested by the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Defence, National Security and Internal Affairs of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia.
The delegation will be composed of Mr Richard Clayton (Member, United Kingdom) Mr Nicolae Esanu (Member, Moldova) and Ms Charlotte de Broutelles (member of the Secretariat).
Switzerland - International workshop
15/11/2011 - 16/11/2011
Geneva - The Venice Commission will participate in a workshop organised by the UN OHCHR on "A human-rights compliant framework for vetting of members of the security and justice sectors".
Kazakhstan - Judiciary
11/11/2011
Astana - Following the adoption of a Joint Opinion with ODIHR on the Kazakh Constitutional law on the Judicial System and the Status of Judges, the Venice Commission will participate in a conference on judicial reform in Kazakhstan.
This activity is organised in the framework of the Joint Programme of the European Commission and the Council of Europe "EU - Central Asia Rule of Law Initiative".
Electoral issues - 20th anniversary of UNIORE
10/11/2011 - 11/11/2011
Mexico City - At the invitation of the President of the Inter-American Union of Electoral Organisations (UNIORE), the President of the Venice Commission participates in the extraordinary meeting of UNIORE commemorating the twentieth anniversary of that organisation. On 11 November, the President of the Commission will participate in the discussion on electoral agencies and democratic governance.
New member state – Kazakhstan
09/11/2011
Strasbourg - The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe invited Kazakhstan to join the Venice Commission.
Request for opinion - Armenia
09/11/2011
The Minister of Justice of Armenia requested the Commission's opinion on the Draft law on the legal regime of the state of emergency
Request for opinion - Georgia
04/11/2011
Deputy Speaker of the Georgian Parliament requested the Venice Commission's opinion on draft amendments to the Organic Law on Political Unions of Citizens of Georgia.
Ukraine - Freedom of Assembly -Follow-up to the OSCE/ODIHR - Venice Commission Opinion
03/11/2011 - 04/11/2011
Kyiv - Conference on "Freedom of Assembly: European Standards for Ukraine", organised by the Ukrainian Commission on Strengthening Democracy and Asserting the Rule of Law .
During the conference, Ms Banic, Rapporteur of the Venice commission, will introduce the Opinion.
Kyrgyzstan - Judiciary
03/11/2011 - 04/11/2011
Bishkek - Following the adoption of the Opinion on the draft law on the Council for the Selection of Judges of Kyrgyzstan, the Commission will participate in a training seminar for the members of the Council for the Selection of Judges of the Kyrgyz Republic on “Judicial Independence through Selection Procedures”.
This activity is organised in the framework of the EU funded project "Assistance in reforming the legislation of Kyrgyzstan following the constitutional referendum of 27 June 2010".
02/11/2011 - 04/11/2011
Niamey, Niger - The Venice Commission will participate in the 6th Conference of Heads of Institution of the Association of Constitutional Courts using the French Language (ACCPUF) on "the Status of the Constitutional Court Judge".
Ukraine – draft laws on MPs elections – follow-up to the opinion
31/10/2011
Kyiv – a delegation of the Venice Commission participates in the hearings of the Verkhovna Rada’s Committee on State Building and Local Self-Government on the topic “Discussions of the draft Laws of Ukraine on Elections of People’s Deputies of Ukraine”.
Kyrgyzstan - presidential elections - legal support to the observation mission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
28/10/2011 - 31/10/2011
Bishkek - The Venice Commission provides legal assistance to the observation mission of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe with regard to the presidential elections of 30 October 2011.
27/10/2011 - 29/10/2011
Moscow / Saint Petersburg - The President of the Venice Commission participates in the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation.
26/10/2011 - 27/10/2011
Tbilisi - A delegation of the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe’s advisory body of independent legal experts, together with experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) will be in Georgia on 26 and 27 October 2011 to exchange views with national authorities and other stakeholders on the new draft Electoral Code of Georgia.
The request for opinion came from the Deputy Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Mihaïl Machavariani on 12 September 2011.
The delegation will meet with members of parliament, representatives of the opp... read more
Turkey - Reforms of the judicial system - Symposium
25/10/2011 - 26/10/2011
Istanbul - The Venice Commission participated in a Symposium on the "Reforms in the Turkish judicial system, High Council of Judges and Prosecutors from past to present and its comparison to European Practice".
24/10/2011 - 25/10/2011
Beirut - The Venice Commission's President participated in the 7th Colloquium of the Union of Arab Constitutional Courts and Councils on "Constitutional Justice and the Separation of Powers", hosted by the Constitutional Court of Lebanon.
24/10/2011 - 25/10/2011
Tirana - A delegation of the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe’s advisory body of independent legal experts, together with experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) will be in Tirana on 24 and 25 October 2011 to exchange views with national authorities and other stakeholders on the Albanian electoral legislation and practice.
Following the local elections and in particular the challenges encountered relating to the last elections for Mayor of Tirana, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland asked on 24 Augus... read more
20/10/2011 - 25/10/2011
Tunis - At the request of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Venice Commission ensures legal assistance to the Election Observation Mission of the Assembly in the context of the election of the National Constituent Assembly (on 23 October 2011). The Venice Commission delegation is composed of Mr Colliard, President of University Paris 1 - Panthéon-Sorbonne, former member of the Constitutional Council, member of the Venice Commission; as well as a member of the secretariat.
Bulgaria - Elections
20/10/2011 - 24/10/2011
Sofia - At the request of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Venice Commission ensures legal assistance to the Election Observation Mission of the Assembly in the context of the Presidential election (on 23 October 2011). The Venice Commission is represented by Mr Kask, Judge at the Tallinn Court of Appeal and member of the Venice Commission.
19/10/2011
Strasbourg – During its plenary session last week (14-15,10,2011), the Council of Europe's advisory body on constitutional matters – better known as the Venice Commission - adopted a joint OSCE/ODIHR opinion on the draft Law of Ukraine on Election of the People’s Deputies of Ukraine.
The opinion points out that the electoral system chosen in the draft law matches neither the one discussed by the Venice Commission representatives during their meetings with the Ukrainian authorities nor the one recommended by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in its Resolution 1755... read more
19/10/2011
Strasbourg - During its plenary session last week, the Council of Europe's advisory body on constitutional matters – better known as the Venice Commission - adopted an opinion on the “Draft Law on amendments to the law on the judiciary and the status of judges of Ukraine”, prepared by the National Commission for Strengthening Democracy and the Rule of Law (CDL-AD(2011)033).
The new draft law submitted for opinion represents a clear improvement over earlier proposals and addresses many of the recommendations previously made by the Venice Commission. The new draft appears to have - a... read more
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Request for opinion – European Commission
19/10/2011
By letter of 19 October 2011 the European Commission invited the Venice Commission to prepare an opinion on “how the judicial framework, the division of powers and the existing co-ordination mechanisms affect legal certainty and the independence of the judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina”.
Request for assistance -Montenegro
18/10/2011
the Speaker of the Parliament of Montenegro asked for assistance of the Venice Commission in the assessment of the constitutional reform process regarding judiciary.
Request for a study - PACE - limitation of consecutive terms of office
18/10/2011
At the request of the Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly, the Venice Commission studies the limitation of consecutive terms of office as well as the limitation of the possibility to hold mandates at different levels of power.
17/10/2011
Tunis - At the request of the Administrative Court of Tunis, a judge, election expert of the Venice Commission, intervenes in a round table devoted to the disputes that may arise after the announcement of the preliminary results of the elections of a National Constituent Assembly. Tunisian experts and experts from the European Union take part in this event as well.
88th plenary session of the Venice Commission (Venice)
14/10/2011 - 15/10/2011
Kazakhstan – official request for membership
11/10/2011
Astana – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan handed in to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Th. Jagland an official request to join the Venice Commission.
Morocco - Institution of the Ombudsman
11/10/2011 - 13/10/2011
Rabat -The Venice Commission co-organises the 8th session of training of Ombudsmen, on the "Role of the Ombudsman in access to services and protection of social rights".
Around 30 Ombudsmen are attending this training session.
Tunisia - Electoral matters - Elections to the Constituent Assembly
08/10/2011
Strasbourg - The Venice Commission takes part in an awareness raising session for persons in charge of polling stations for the elections to the Tunisian Constituent Assembly in North-Eastern France
06/10/2011 - 08/10/2011
Yerevan - Conference in co-operation with the Constitutional Court on "Legal Outcome of Constitutional Court decisions on strengthening the state's constitutional order" at the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Constitutional Court of Armenia.
XVI Yerevan International Conference on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia
06/10/2011 - 08/10/2011
03/10/2011
Florence, Italy - The Venice Commission participated in the meeting on free access to legal information (on a possible European Legal Information Institute).
30/09/2011
With the accession of 30 Courts from at least three regional or linguistic Groups, the Statute of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice has entered into force. The following 33 Courts have joined the World Conference:
1. Albania, Constitutional Court
2. Algeria, Constitutional Council
3. Armenia, Constitutional Court
4. Austria, Constitutional Court
5. Azerbaijan, Constitutional Court
6. Belarus, Constitutional Court
7. Benin, Constitutional Court
8. Bulgaria, Constitutional Court
9. Burkina Faso, Constitutional Council
10. Chile, Co... read more
Latvia - Constitutional Justice
29/09/2011 - 30/09/2011
Riga - Conference on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Constitutional Court of Latvia on the "Role of the Constitutional Court in protecting constitutional values".
Monitoring Group of European Parliament on the situation in the Southern Mediterranean
29/09/2011
Strasbourg - The Venice Commission participated in an exchange of views on the situation in the Southern Mediterranean at the European Parliament.
Romania - Conference on "Constitutional Reshuffle and Guarantee for the Independence of the Judiciary"
28/09/2011 - 28/09/2011
Bucharest - The Venice Commission participates in the conference co-organised by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Foundation (Rule of Law Program South East Europe) and the Romanian Superior Council of the Magistracy on "Constitutional Reshuffle and Guarantees for the independence of the Judiciary".
28/09/2011
Strasbourg – a delegation of the Venice Commission travelled to Kyiv from 21 to 23 September 2011 to exchange views on the draft law on the elections of MPs in Ukraine which was sent for opinion to the Commission by the Minister of Justice Mr O. Lavrynovych earlier this year. During the visit the delegation met with:
- the Minister of Justice,
- representatives of the working group drafting the law;
- representatives of the different political forces and of the civil society;
- foreign ambassadors and representatives of different international organizations... read more
Central Asia - Regional Conference on "International Experience in reinforcing and respecting the Constitutional norms guaranteeing the independence and effectiveness of courts"
27/09/2011 - 28/09/2011
Dushanbe - The Venice Commission in cooperation with the Judicial Training Centre to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tajikistan organises a Regional conference for legal professionals from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan as well as experts from several European countries to discuss the effective and independent functioning of courts.
This activity is organised in the framework of the Joint Programme of the European Commission and the Council of Europe "EU - Central Asia Rule of Law Initiative".
23/09/2011 - 24/09/2011
Oxford - The Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law and the Oxford All Souls College organised a workshop on the rule of law in Oxford on 23-24 September 2011. At this seminar, Sir Jeffrey Jowell, Director of the Bingham Centre and member of the Venice Commission, presented the report on the rule of law which the Venice Commission adopted in March 2011
Ukraine - Supreme Court
22/09/2011
Kyiv - The Venice Commission participates in the Round table on the role of the Supreme Court in the protection of human rights at national level.
22/09/2011 - 23/09/2011
Chisinau - The Venice Commission co-organises with the Central Election Commission of Moldova the second Eastern Partnership Facility meeting, financed by the European Commission.
The meeting was devoted to the voters' lists management and the electoral disputes' resolution.
Tunisia - Round table on "Elections and democratic transition in Tunisia: a historical opportunity?"
21/09/2011
Brussels - The Venice Commission will participate in the Round table on "Elections and democratic transition in Tunisia: a historical opportunity" organised by the Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament.
21/09/2011 - 23/09/2011
Kyiv - A delegation of the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe’s advisory body of independent legal experts, will visit Ukraine between 21 and 23 September 2011 to exchange views with national authorities and other stake-holders on the draft Law on the Election of Members of Parliament of Ukraine and on Ukraine’s ongoing electoral reform.
The Commission’s preliminary draft opinion on this draft Law, recently released by the Ministry of Justice, includes themes which the delegation will clarify during its visit.
Following this visit, the draft preliminary opinion pr... read more
Tunisia - Electoral disputes - Training seminar for lawyers
20/09/2011 - 23/09/2011
Tunis - At the request of the Tunisian Bar, the Venice Commission organises a Training Seminar on electoral disputes in the framework of the forthcoming election of the National Constituent Assembly foreseen on 23 October 2011. This seminar deals with disputes that may arise on:
- the validity of candidatures,
- the respect of the rules on the electoral campaign and
- the results of the election.
Uzbekistan - Roundtable on the further implementation of the institution of habeas corpus in the legal system
15/09/2011 - 15/09/2011
Tashkent - The Venice Commission in cooperation with the Research Centre to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan organises a Round table for judges to present the experience of some European countries in implementing some aspects of habeas corpus in their legal systems.
This activity is organised in the framework of the Joint Programme of the European Commission and the Council of Europe "EU - Central Asia Rule of Law Initiative".
15/09/2011 - 17/09/2011
Kyiv - Conference in co-operation with the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Court, on "The protection of human rights by bodies of constitutional justice: possibilities and problems of individual access" in the framework of the Ukrainian Chairmanship in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
Ukraine - Bar
15/09/2011
Kyiv - In the framework of the preparation of an opinion on the draft Law on the Bar and the Practice of Law, requested by the President of the Ukrainian Commission for Strengthening Democracy and the Rule of Law, a delegation of the Venice Commission and the Council of Europe TEJSU project will visit Kyiv.
15/09/2011 - 16/09/2011
Tunis - At the request of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Venice Commission ensures legal assistance to the Pre-electoral Mission of the Assembly in the context of the forthcoming election of a National Constituent Assembly (to be held on 23 October 2011).
13/09/2011 - 14/09/2011
Tashkent - The Venice Commission in cooperation with the Research Centre to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan organises a Regional conference for the legal professionals from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as well as experts from several European countries to share their knowledge on different aspects of the administrative law.
This activity is organised in the framework of the Joint Programme of the European Commission and the Council of Europe "EU - Central Asia Rule of Law Initiative" in co-operation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft ... read more
Request for opinion - Georgia
12/09/2011
Deputy Speaker of the Georgian Parliament requested the Venice Commission's opinion on a draft Electoral Code of Georgia.
Chile - 40th anniversary of the Constitutional Court
08/09/2011
Santiago de Chile - The President of the Venice Commission, Mr Gianni Buquicchio, participated at the event organised by the Constitutional Court of Chile for its 40th anniversary.
07/09/2011
Ankara - A delegation of the Venice Commission held meetings with the Constitutional Court, the Council of State, the Court of Cassation and the Ministry of Justice in view of the preparation of an opinion on the Law on the Constitutional Court.
06/09/2011 - 09/09/2011
In view of the elections on 23 October 2011 of a Constituent Assembly which will draft the new constitution of Tunisia, the Commission and the Media Section of the Council of Europe is holding a session of "Training of Trainers" on the topic : "A fair and balanced Media Coverage of Elections". This session is followed by visits and meetings with French and German Media as well as with the Secretary General and other representatives of the Council of Europe and of the local authorities.
The Tunisian experts will in turn train Tunisian journalists.
This activity is funded ... read more
Training of trainers : for a fair media coverage of the electoral campaign in Tunisia
06/09/2011 - 09/09/2011
Istanbul - Conference of the OSCE/ODIHR - Venice Commission Guidelines on Political Party Regulation
05/09/2011 - 06/09/2011
Representatives of the Venice Commission participate in a Conference on the OSCE/ODIHR - Venice Commission Guidelines on Political Party Regulation, followed by a meeting of experts on political parties, organised by OSCE/ODIHR.
Kazakhstan - International Conference on "The State and the Individual: 20 years of development of on the way to progress"
26/08/2011 - 26/08/2011
Astana - On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan the Venice Commission takes part in the Conference organised by the Constitutional Council of Kazakhstan.
This activity is organised in the framework of the joint programme "EU-Central Asia Rule of Law Initiative"
Albania - Electoral issues - Request for an opinion
24/08/2011
Following the local elections and in particular the controversy relating to the election of the Mayor of Tirana, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe asked for an opinion on which amendments should be made to the electoral legislation and practice in Albania in the light of recent experience.
Request for Opinion - Armenia
23/08/11
At the request of the Armenian authorities the Venice Commission is assessing the draft law on freedom of conscience and freedom of religion and draft laws making amendments to the administrative and criminal code.
The joint ODHIR/ Venice Commission's opinion is to be adopted at the next October session of the Venice Commission.
29/07/2011 - 30/07/2011
Sofia - 20th anniversary of the Constitutional Court of Bulgaria. The Commission participates in the conference on the "Classical and modern trends in Constitutional review", organised by the Constitutional Court.
Bosnia and Herzegovina - Request for opinion
15/07/2011
The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina requested an Amicus Curiae opinion in relation to the "Law on the Status of State Property Located on the Territory of the Republika Srpska and under the Disposal Ban".
07/07/2011 - 08/07/2011
Santa Cruz - In co-operation with the Constitutional Court of Bolivia the Venice Commission organises a conference on main principles of constitutional justice, with a special focus on indigenous justice.
05/07/2011 - 08/07/2011
Tunis – At the request of the Administrative Tribunal of Tunis, the Venice Commission organised a training Seminar for 40 judges on electoral disputes in the framework of the election of the National Constituent Assembly foreseen on 23 October 2011. This seminar dealt with disputes that may arise on:
• the validity of candidatures,
• the respect of the rules on the electoral campaign and
• the results of the election.
This activity was possible thanks to a voluntary contribution of the government of Turkey to the Commission’s activities in Tunisia. The semi... read more
Ukraine - Request for opinion
01/07/2011
The Commission for Strengthening Democracy and the Rule of Law in Ukraine asked the Venice Commission to give an opinion on the draft Law on Freedom Assembly.
The opinions on this draft law will be on the agenda of the next plenary session of the Commission in Venice (14 -15.10.2011).
Request for opinion - Ukraine - Legislation on the judicial reform
01/07/2011 - 16/10/2011
The Secretary of the National Commission for the strengthening of democracy and rule of law in Ukraine Mr S. Holovaty requested Commission's opinion on the Draft Law on the Judiciary and the Status of Judges.
Constitutional Justice
30/06/2011 - 01/07/2011
Ankara - 10th meeting of the Joint Council on Constitutional Justice
Azerbaijan - Request for opinion
29/06/2011
The Chairperson of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the PACE has requested the Venice Commission to assess the compatibility of the legislation on Non Governmental Organisations of Azerbaijan with the human rights standards, including the case-law of the ECtHR.
28/06/2011 - 30/06/2011
Tunis – a delegation of the Venice Commission participates in an international seminar on "Gender equality in constitutional and legislative reforms", organised by the European Inter–University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC), the Center of Arab Woman for Training and Research (CAWTAR) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. This activity is supported by the Ministry of Economic cooperation and development, the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and by the EU.
Strasbourg - Sixth Summer University of Democracy: "Ethics and Politics"
29/06/2011
The Venice Commission takes part in the Sixth Summer University of Democracy: "Ethics and Politics" and presents a report on "Introducing Ethics and Restoring Citizens’ Confidence in the Electoral Process" in the framework of a round table on "Ethics and Political Legitimacy".
Conference on "the past and the future of the constitutional judicial review in new democracies" - Batumi, Georgia
25/06/2011 - 26/06/2011
24/06/2011 - 26/06/2011
Batumi - Conference on "The Past and the Future of the Constitutional Review in New Democracies" at the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Constitutional Court of Georgia, organised by the Court in cooperation with the GIZ and the Venice Commission.
Ukraine - Request for opinion - electoral questions
23/06/2011
The Minister of Justice of Ukraine asks the Venice Commission to prepare an opinion on the bill of elections of members of parliament. The text will be prepared in cooperation with the OSCE-ODIHR and discussed at the next plenary session of the Commission to be held in 14-15 October 2011 in Venice.
23/06/2011 - 24/06/2011
Luanda, Angola - The Commission will participate in the Seminar of the Conference of Constitutional Courts of Portuguese Speaking Countries on "the Right to Access to Constitutional Justice".
Armenia - Request for an opinion - Electoral matters
22/06/2011
The President of the Armenian Parliament asks for the opinion of the Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR on the new Armenian electoral code.
20/06/2011
Venice / Strasbourg - On 25 March 2011, the Chair of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Dick Marty asked the Venice Commission to prepare a legal opinion on the new Constitution of Hungary. The Opinion was discussed and adopted during the Commission’s plenary meeting on 17 June 2011 in Venice in the presence of representatives of the Hungarian authorities.
In March 2011, the Venice Commission has already adopted, at the request of the Hungarian authorities, a legal opinion on three legal issues raised in the drafting process of the new C... read more
20/06/2011 - 23/06/2011
Trieste, Italy -- This seminar, the last of three in 2011, addresses "The Council of Europe and the European Union : Shared Values and Standards". The topics dealt with include issues relating to
- the EU Enlargement Process ;
- the role and contribution of the Venice Commission to the EU Integration Process and the EU Neighbourhood Policy;
- European Integration without European Union Membership;
- the experiences of a candidate country, as well as
- the Council of Europe and the European Union working together: challenges and perspectives.
With... read more
87th plenary session of the Venice Commission (Venice)
17/06/2011 - 18/06/2011
Electoral matters - 20th Jubilee Conference of the ACEEEO (Association of European Election Officials)
17/06/2011
Budapest - The Venice Commission takes part in the 20th Jubilee Conference of the ACEEEO (Association of European Election Officials), dedicated to "Independence of the Election Management Bodies".
Belarus - Request for opinion
08/06/2011 - 08/06/2011
Strasbourg - The Chairperson of the political Affaires Committee of the PACE requests the Venice Commission to assess the compatibility with universal human rights standards of Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code of Belarus vis-à-vis the rights of non registered associations in this country.
Request for opinion - Peru
07/06/2011
Request for an amicus curiae opinion by the Constitutional Court of Peru on a case related to crimes against humanity
Tunisia - Electoral issues
04/06/2011 - 06/06/2011
Tunis – A delegation of the Venice Commission will take part in a seminar on: “The democratic transition in Tunisia: opportunities and challenges”. On this occasion, the delegation meets various Tunisian and international representatives within the framework of its co-operation with Tunisia in the electoral field.
"the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" - Electoral issues - legal assistance to PACE
02/06/2011 - 06/06/2011
Skopje - The Venice Commission ensures legal assistance to the observation mission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe during the early parliamentary elections on 5 June 2011.
Azerbaijan - Request for opinion – political parties
26/05/2011
Venice Commission received a request from the Azeri authorities for an opinion on the draft law on political parties.
23/05/2011 - 25/05/2011
Bucharest - The Venice Commission will participate in the XVth Congress of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts
19/05/2011
Background - The request to prepare an opinion on the new Hungarian constitution was addressed to the Venice Commission by the head of the Monitoring Committee of the PACE Dick Marty on 25.04.2011
In March 2011, at the request of the Hungarian government, the Venice Commission already adopted an opinion on three legal questions which arose in the process of drafting the new constitution. In this opinion it expressed concern about the very rapid procedure for adopting the Constitution.
Visit - On 17-18 May 2011 a delegation of the Venice Commission visited... read more
Warsaw - OSCE 2011 Human Dimension Seminar
18/05/2011 - 20/05/2011
The Venice Commission takes part in the 2011 OSCE Human Dimension Meeting on the Role of Political Parties in the Electoral Process.
17/05/2011 - 18/05/2011
Sucre - In co-operation with the Ministry of Justice and the Prosecutor General of Bolivia, the Venice Commission organised a conference on the role of the prosecution service in a democratic society.
17/05/2011 - 18/05/2011
Budapest - A delegation from the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission is to meet representatives of the authorities, the various political parties and civil society in Hungary to discuss the country’s new constitution adopted on 18 April 2011.
Context: At the request of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Venice Commission is currently preparing an opinion on the new Hungarian constitution.
In March 2011, at the request of the Hungarian government, the Venice Commission already adopted an opinion on three legal questions which arose in the process ... read more
12/05/2011 - 13/05/2011
Sofia – Within the framework of the preparation of an opinion on the Election Code of Bulgaria by the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR, a delegation of the Venice Commission met the President of the National Assembly of Bulgaria, the Legal Affairs Committee of the Assembly as well as the main political parties. The Venice Commission delegation also met the President of the Constitutional Court, the Central Electoral Committee and the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria.
12/05/2011 - 13/05/2011
Vienna - The Venice Commission and the Federal Ministry of the Interior of Austria co-organise the 8th European Conference of Electoral Management Bodies on the subject “Elections in a Changing World”. The conference brings together representatives of the national authorities responsible for elections and international organisations.
The main focus of the meeting was on the role of the media, notably social media, in the electoral process.
Bulgaria - Visit regarding the 4th Draft Law on Forfeiture in Favour of the State of Assets acquired through Criminal or
12/05/2011 - 13/05/2011
Sofia- A delegation of the Venice Commission visits the country and meets with the Minister of Justice Mrs Popova, the Vice-Minister of Justice Mrs Petrova, and other relevant stakeholders. During the visit, the delegation will discuss the latest amendments to the draft Law on Forfeiture in Favour of the State of Assets acquired through Criminal or another Illegal activity.
The adoption of the final opinion is on the agenda of its plenary session to be held on 17-18 June 2011.
8th European Conference of Electoral Management Bodies "Elections in a changing world" - Hotel Wimberger, Vienna, Austria
12/05/2011 - 13/05/2011
Request for an opinion - Montenegro - electoral matters
09/05/2011
The Venice Commission received a request for an opinion on the draft law on amendments to the law on election of councillors and members of Parliament of Montenegro.
07/05/2011 - 08/05/2011
Algiers - The Venice Commission participated in the founding congress of the Association of African Constitutional Courts and Councils (working title)
Armenia - electoral reform
05/05/2011
Yerevan – The Venice Commission is invited by the National Assembly of Armenia to participate in a public hearing within the framework of the ongoing electoral reform. A delegation of the Venice Commission is presenting the draft opinion on the draft new Electoral Code, jointly with a representative of the OSCE/ODIHR.
02/05/2011 - 03/05/2011
Bishkek - The Venice Commission has been requested by the Kyrgyz authorities to provide a legal opinion on three Draft Laws to be submitted to a parliamentary hearing on 3 May 2011: Constitutional law on Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, Law on Local Elections and Law on Electoral Commissions.
Two experts of the Venice Commission will participate in a Round Table on 2 May 2011 in Bishkek, together with experts from OSCE/ODIHR and representatives of the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Law of the Kyrgyz Republic, in order to discuss the Draft Laws.
This activity is ... read more
02/05/2011 - 05/05/2011
Trieste, Italy - This seminar, the second of three in 2011, addresses "Information, (Social) Media and the Civil Service". The topics dealt with include issues relating to handling and exchanging information within the public administration, the public's right to know, transparency in public administration and the role of the media, the use of social media in the civil service as well as disclosure of information in the public interest.
The UniDem Campus, a programme for legal training of the civil servants of Eastern European countries was launched in 2000 by the Venice Commissio... read more
Uzbekistan - seminar on "The independence of the judiciary and its relationship with the prosecution service”
28/04/2011 - 29/04/2011
Tashkent - The Venice Commission, in cooperation with the Research Centre to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan, is organising a seminar on "The Independence of the judiciary and its relationship with the prosecution service: perspective for developing a relationship and establishing the principle of rule of law".
This activity is organised in the framework of the EU-Central Asia Rule of Law initiative.
27/04/2011 - 29/04/2011
Bishkek - A delegation of the Venice Commission will participate parliamentary sessions and a round table on the package of draft judiciary laws of Kyrgyzstan on which the Commission is preparing opinions upon request by the Kyrgyz Parliament.
Request for opinion – Armenia
21/04/2011
Strasbourg - The Armenian authorities have requested an opinion of the Venice Commission on the draft of a law “On making a supplement to the Penitentiary Code of the Republic of Armenia”, the draft aims to allow, upon court decision, restriction of the correspondence of a convict.
The draft opinion will be proposed for adoption to the Venice Commission at its June 2011 plenary meeting.
19/04/2011 - 21/04/2011
Council of Europe, Strasbourg - At the invitation of the Council of Europe, the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) will hold a special meeting on the theme of prevention of terrorism from 19 to 21 April 2011 at the Palais de l'Europe in Strasbourg, France.
International, regional and sub-regional organizations will be invited to join members of the Security Council Counter Terrorism Committee and the Council of Europe in discussing preventive policies and measures. Aimed at speeding up international efforts to fight terrorism, the three-day meeting will fo... read more
Regional Conference on "The mechanisms of providing legal assistance in criminal cases and extradition of criminals between the law-enforcement bodies of European countries and non member states of the Council of Europe"
18/04/2011 - 19/04/2011
Astana - At the request of the Kazakh authorities the Venice Commission in cooperation with the general Prosecutor’s Office and the Constitutional Council of Kazakhstan organises a Regional Conference for prosecutors from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and experts from several European countries to share their knowledge and experience on providing mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, extradition of criminals and other related issues.
This activity is organised in the framework of the EU-Central Asia Rule of Law Initiative.
International symposium - Future of the European Court of Human Rights
16/04/2011
Procida/Naples, Italy - The Deputy Secretary of the Venice Commission participates in a Symposium on "the Future of the European Court of Human Rights".
The event is organised by the Italian Yearbook of International Law in co-operation with the University of Naples L'Orientale, the University of Naples Federico II, the JM Project Cattedra Jean Monnet, the European University Institute and the National Research Council.
Kyrgyzstan - opinion request
05/04/2011
Strasbourg - The Chairperson of Constitutional Committee of the Kyrgyz Parliament, Ms Skripkina, requested the Venice Commission to provide opinions on judicial laws, in particular the draft Law on the Council for the Selection of Judges of Kyrgyzstan.
02/04/2011 - 04/04/2011
Cairo - The Venice Commission is invited to participate in an international conference entitled ““Free and Fair Elections: Lessons Learnt from other Transitioning Countries on Managing Elections”, which is organised by the American University in Cairo.
Representatives of the Commission will deliver presentations on electoral observation and monitoring.
Kyrgyzstan - opinion request
01/04/2011
Strasbourg - The Chairperson of Constitutional Committee of the Kyrgyz Parliament, Ms. Skripkina, requested the Venice Commission to provide opinions on the draft Law on the Constitutional Chamber in the Supreme Court and on the draft Law on the Status of Judges of Kyrgyzstan.
Kazakhstan – presidential elections – support to the observation mission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
01/04/2011 - 04/04/2011
Astana - The Venice Commission provides legal assistance to the observation mission of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe with regard to the presidential elections on 3 April 2011.
29/03/2011 - 30/03/2011
Rabat – a Council of Europe delegation headed by Philippe Boillat, Director General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs, met the Moroccan authorities, NGOs and representatives of the international community present in the country. Staff from the Directorate of External Relations (DG-DPA) as well as of the Venice Commission also participated in this delegation.
The purpose of the visit was to present the Council of Europe's instruments and to identify fields of mutual cooperation.
Judiciary - Role of Public Prosecutors Outside the Criminal Field
29/03/2011 - 30/03/2011
Strasbourg - The Venice Commission will participate in the meeting of the Council of Europe Group of Specialists on the Role of Public Prosecutors Outside the Criminal Field (CJ-S-PR).
Request for opinion – PACE Monitoring Committee - new Hungarian constitution
28/03/2011
On 25 March 2011, the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly decided to ask the Venice Commission for an opinion on the new Constitution of Hungary that is currently being debated in the Hungarian parliament.
25/03/2011 - 26/03/2011
At its 86th plenary session, the Commission adopted the opinions concerning the following issues:
- Hungary –new constitution;
- Serbia - election of members o fParliament, in particular on the issue of "imperative mandate"; financing of political activities;
- Turkey – draft law on judges and prosecutors;
- Ukraine – establishment and functioning of a Constitutional Assembly; draft law on languages;
- Bolivia - draft law on prosecutors.
The Commission was informed on the results of the meetings on constitutional and electoral reforms in Tuni... read more
16/03/2011 - 18/03/2011
Tunis - a delegation of the Venice Commission travels to Tunisia on invitation by the Tunisian authorities to discuss the assistance that the Venice Commission can provide to the national authorities in the context of the upcoming constitutional and electoral reforms.
The delegation is meeting with the Prime Minister (on the photo) and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the High Commission for the achievement of the goals of the revolution, for political reform and democratic transition. Meetings with the representatives of the Ministry of Interior, the European Union and Turkish em... read more
Albania – long term mission of assistance to the CEC
14/03/2011 - 14/05/2011
Tirana – At the request of the Central Election Commission of Albania (CEC) in the context of the forthcoming local elections, a Venice Commission election expert assists the CEC in preparing the elections. The expert advises the CEC on legal and technical issues, notably for the preparation of CEC instructions and of trainings manuals.
Ukraine – Electoral issues – Round Table on 2012 Parliamentary Elections
14/03/2011
Kiev – Following an invitation from the International Foundation for Elections Systems (IFES), the Venice Commission participates in an electoral meeting on the electoral legal framework in view of the forthcoming 2012 Parliamentary Elections.
Turkey supports Venice Commission work on the constitutional reform in Tunisia
09/03/2011
Strasbourg, Council of Europe – Following the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey - currently chairing Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe - and of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland to Tunisia on 21 February 2011, Turkish government has made a voluntary contribution to the work of the Venice Commission on the process of constitutional reform in Tunisia”.
Georgia – new draft electoral code – country visit
09/03/2011
Tbilisi – A representative of the Venice Commission meets with the Electoral Code Working Group, in charge of drafting a new electoral code. Meetings with representatives of the civil society, of the international community as well as with the Central Election Commission Chairman are on the agenda.
Hungary – country visit – assistance in preparing new Constitution
07/03/2011 - 08/03/2011
Budapest - Following the request dated 18 February 2011 by the Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary, Minister of Public Administration and Justice, Mr Tibor Navracsics, for the Venice Commission's assistance with respect to certain issues arising in the framework of the preparation of a new Constitution, a delegation of the Commission will visit the country on 7-8 March and will meet with the national authorities and other relevant stakeholders.
The relevant opinion of the Commission is on the agenda of its plenary session to be held on 25-26 March 2011.
28/02/2011 - 03/03/2011
Trieste, Italy - This seminar, the first of three in 2011, addresses "The Independence of Judges and Prosecutors: Perspectives and Challenges". It presents existing European standards with respect to the independence of judges and prosecutors.
It deals with such issues as the status, appointment procedures and funding of the judiciary and prosecution as well as the independence and accountability of judges and prosecutors. The judiciary and the media, as well as judicial reform, will also be discussed.
The UniDem Campus, a programme for legal training of the civil servants ... read more
Kyrgyzstan - A follow-up seminar on "Law-making techniques"
28/02/2011 - 01/03/2011
Kyrgyzstan - At the request of the Kyrgyz authorities the Venice Commission in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice organises a follow-up training seminar for civil servants on issues related to law-making. The seminar will consist of both lectures and practical exercises.
This activity is organised in the framework of the EU funded project "Assistance in reforming the legislation of Kyrgyzstan following the constitutional referendum of 27 June 2010"
UniDem Campus - 7th National Co-ordinators Meeting and Mini-Conference
28/02/2011
Trieste, Italy - The 7th National Co-ordinators Meeting of the UniDem Campus Trieste Programme will give the national co-ordinators the opportunity to discuss the organisation of and topics for the seminars planned for 2011 and 2012.
This meeting will be followed by a mini-conference on "The Executive and Judiciary: "dialogue" in relation to human rights".
Request for opinion – Serbia – electoral legislation (resignation of MPs)
25/02/2011
Speaker of the Serbian Parliament Ms Djukic Dejanovic requested Commission’s opinion on the amendment of art. 84 of the Law on the election of MPs
Request for opinion – Serbia – new draft law on financing of political activities
25/02/2011
Ministry for Justice requested Commission’s opinion on the draft law on financing of political activities, modified on the basis of the joint OSCE/ODHIR – CDL opinion adopted at the December 2010 session
Tunisia - invitation for a country visit
21/02/2011
Strasbourg – The Venice Commission of the Council of Europe has received an invitation by the authorities of Tunisia to discuss the reform process in the country. A visit by the Commission’s delegation to Tunis is expected to take place during the second half of March 2011.
Tunisia is a full member of the Commission since March 2010.
Turkey - 66th meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee
21/02/2011 - 23/02/2011
Antakya/Hatay - Participation of the Secretary of the Venice Commission in the 66th meeting of the EU - Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee
18/02/2011 - 19/02/2011
Almaty - Conference with Constitutional Council of Kazakhstan on "Safeguarding constitutional human rights in pre-trial criminal proceedings."
This activity is organised in the framework of the EU-Central Asia Rule of Law Initiative
Request for opinion – Hungary – drafting new Constitution
18/02/2011
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Public Administration and Justice, Mr Tibor Navracsics, requested Commission's assistance in the preparation of a new Constitution.
Request for opinion - Ukraine - constitutional assembly
18/02/2011
Mr Holovaty, the Chair of the Ukrainian Commission for Strengthening Democracy and the Rule of Law, requested Venice Commission's assessment of the Concept paper for the Establishment and Functioning of the Constitutional Assembly in Ukraine.
16/02/2011 - 17/02/2011
Yerevan - at the request of the then Minister for Justice of Armenia dated 26 October 2010, the Venice Commission adopted an interim opinion on the amendments to the Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organisations at its December 2010 plenary session. At the same time the Commission was informed that a new set of amendments was in preparation.
In order to obtain more background information on the legislative process related to the planned amendments of the Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organisations, a delegation of the Venice Commission, consisting of Finola... read more
16/02/2011 - 18/02/2011
Kyiv - At the request of the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine dated 17 November 2010, the Venice Commission is assessing the Draft Law on Languages in Ukraine. To this end, a delegation of the Commission meets with the national authorities and other stakeholders.
In order to obtain more background information on this draft Law, a delegation of the Venice Commission conducts a visit to Ukraine to meet with the national authorities and other relevant stakeholders on 16 -18 February 2011.
During the visit, the delegation holds discussions on the draft law under consider... read more
14/02/2011 - 16/02/2011
Mexico City – Upon invitation by the Federal Electoral Court, representatives of the Venice Commission’s Secretariat will hold meetings with the Federal Electoral Court and the Supreme Court of Mexico in order to discuss co-operation in the fields of electoral law and constitutional justice.
Moldova - Post-elections review workshop
03/02/2011 - 04/02/2011
Chisinau – Upon invitation by the Central Election Commission of Moldova, the Venice Commission participates in a Post-Election Review Workshop as a follow-up to the last early parliamentary elections of November 2010. Representatives of the Central Election Commission and of precinct and district election commissions participate in this workshop. Tabulating results and reporting, electoral staff training and management of electoral complaints are the key issues to be addressed in this workshop.
Ukraine - meeting with the Monitoring Committee of the PACE
27/01/2011 - 27/01/2011
Strasbourg, Council of Europe - A representative of the Venice Commission is invited to take part in an exchange of views on recent developments in Ukraine organised by the Monitoring Committee of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
European Network of Councils for Judiciary
24/01/2011 - 25/01/2011
Brussels - Participation of Venice Commission representative in a meeting of the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ) Project Team
Montenegro - Workshop on the independence, impartiality and professionalism in the judiciary
20/01/2011 - 20/01/2011
Danilovgrad - Workshop on the "Independence, impartiality and professionalism in the judiciary - European models and the case of Montenegro", organised by the European Union with participation of the Venice Commission. The target group are decision makers in the three branches of power in Montenegro (government, parliament and judiciary) as well as representatives of the key NGOs. The seminar aims at examining solutions to improve the independence and impartiality of the judiciary.
16/01/2011 - 18/01/2011
Rio de Janeiro - 2nd Congress of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice on “Separation of Powers and Independence of Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Bodies”
The Congress allowed around 90 Courts worldwide to discuss problems in their relations with other state powers, especially pressure from the executive or the legislative but sometimes also from the media. The participating judges drew inspiration from their peers in other countries at a time when constitutional justice is endangered in a number of countries.