Recent and Current Events
24/09/2024
From 18 to 20 September 2024, the Secretary of the Venice Commission participated in the 6th Congress of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts (AACC), held in Bangkok, Thailand. The congress, themed “The Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions in Strengthening Constitutional Justice for a Sustainable Society,” brought together key figures in the field of constitutional justice.
The AACC is one of the regional groups forming the Bureau of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice (WCCJ), for which the Venice Commission serves as Secretariat.
During... read more
HAITI - Online meeting with United Nations Special Representative on Haiti
24/09/2024
In view of the preparation of the final Opinion on "possible constitutional and legislative solutions to conduct future electoral processes in Haiti", the Rapporteurs of the Venice Commission held an online meeting with the United Nations Expert on Human Rights in Haiti, Mr William O'Neill, on 24th September 2024.
20/09/2024
Following the request by the Minister of Justice of Armenia dated 5 August 2024, the Venice Commission and the Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law (DGI) of the Council of Europe are preparing a draft Joint Opinion on the draft amendments to the Judicial Code of Armenia (regarding judicial evaluations).
On 20 September 2024, the rapporteurs conducted a series of on-line meetings with the representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the National Assembly, the Supreme Judicial Council, the Performance Evaluation Commission of Judges, the Court of Cassation, as well as with... read more
19/09/2024 - 20/09/2024
Chisinau, Republic of Moldova / On-line – A representative of the Venice Commission participated in the International Conference “Human Rights Protection Mechanisms and the Role of National Human Rights Institutions in the European Union and Beyond”. In the panel on “The role of National Human Rights Institutions and Ombudsperson institutions in the EU and across the EU”, the Venice Commission highlighted the important role of Ombudsman institutions in addressing rule of law backsliding and drew attention to its Principles for the Protection and Promotion of the Institution of Ombudsman, the ... read more
19/09/2024 - 20/09/2024
Following a request by the Minister of Justice of Armenia dated 15 July 2024, the Venice Commission and the Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity (DGII) of the Council of Europe are preparing a draft Joint Opinion on the draft law concerning amendments and supplements to the “Law on Mass Media” and the Civil Code of Armenia.
On 19 and 20 September 2024, a delegation of the Venice Commission carried out a mission to Yerevan and conducted meetings with representatives of the Ministry of Justice and the Human Rights Defender’s Office, Members of Parliament representing th... read more
18/09/2024
On 18 September 2024, a delegation of the Venice Commission carried out a mission to Kyrgyzstan in the context of the preparation of an Opinion on Law No. 72 of 2 April 2024 amending the Law “On non-profit organisations”. The Venice Commission delegation met in Bishkek with the Minister of Justice and other officials of the Ministry of Justice, the Office of the Ombudsman, the European Union Delegation to Kyrgyzstan, the Central Asia Regional Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and representatives of civil society organisations.
The Opinion will be subm... read more
16/09/2024 - 17/09/2024
On 16-17 September 2024, a delegation of the Venice Commission held a series of online meetings with stakeholders in Kyrgyzstan within the context of the preparation of an opinion on the draft amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code concerning bail and videoconferencing in criminal proceedings. The opinion follows a request by the Minister of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr Ayaz Baetov, made on 5 August 2024.
The Venice Commission delegation met online with representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, the Ombudsman Institution, the Bar Association as well as ... read more
12/09/2024 - 13/09/2024
Cassino, Italy - The Venice Commission contributed to the organisation of the 2nd Italian edition of the International Ombudsman Conference on "The role of the Ombudsman as a guardian of right", held in Cassino, Italy, on 12-13 September 2024. A representative of the Venice Commission participated in the event and delivered an opening speech.
This conference, organised by the Civic Defender of the Lazio Region, President of the National Coordination of Ombudsmen of Italy, brought together more than 200 Ombudsmen, civil servants and students from all continents.
The prese... read more
12/09/2024 - 13/09/2024
Warsaw – A delegation of the Venice Commission conducted a visit to Warsaw, Poland, within the context of the preparation of the opinion on the draft amendments to the Law on the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Poland. This opinion follows a request by the Minister of Justice of Poland on 15 July 2024.
The Venice Commission delegation met with the Minister of Justice, Members of the Parliament (governing coalition and opposition parties), National Prosecutor’s Office, Disciplinary Court to the Prosecutor General and Professional Liability Chamber of the Supreme Court, Chancellery of ... read more
12/09/2024
By letter dated 12 September 2024, the Minister of Justice of Serbia, Ms Maja Popović, requested an Opinion on the draft Law on the Judicial Academy as well as draft amendments to the Law on Judges and the Law on the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 141st Plenary Session of the Venice Commission (Venice, 06-07 December 2024).
11/09/2024
Paris - Mr Michael Frendo, Member of the Venice Commission in respect of Malta, participated online in the meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly, which took place in Paris on 11 September 2024.
He presented the recent Venice Commission Opinion on Act LXXXVIII of 2023 of Hungary on the Protection of National Sovereignty, which had been requested by the Monitoring Committee, and held an exchange of views with the members.
10/09/2024
Following the request by the Minister of Justice of Armenia dated 14 May 2024, the Venice Commission and the Directorate General: Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe are preparing a draft Joint Opinion on the draft amendments to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code concerning the collection of evidence without consent in criminal investigations.
On 10 September 2024, the rapporteurs conducted a series of on-line meetings with the representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Investigative Committee, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Standing Parl... read more
10/09/2024
Paris – Mr Kaarlo Tuori, Honorary President of the Venice Commission, and Mr Serhiy Holovaty, President of the Sub-Committee on the Rule of Law, participated in a hearing of the Parliamentary Assembly Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, on 10 September 2024.
They presented the ongoing work on the update of the Rule of Law Checklist, which will take into account the developments which have occurred since the adoption of the first version of the Checklist (2016). It is foreseen that the updated Rule of Law Checklist will be adopted in 2025.
09/09/2024
The Venice Commission held an online meeting with the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) of Haiti and a delegation from the Organization of American States (OAS) on 6th September 2024 to strengthen the forthcoming constitutional and electoral reforms. This meeting marks an important step in the preparation for transparent and inclusive elections in Haiti.
09/09/2024
On 9 September 2024, the Venice Commission in collaboration with the CEC co-organized a comprehensive webinar to facilitate the preparation for these electoral events. The webinar brought together over 70 participants, including representatives from the CEC and district electoral councils.
This event provided a crucial platform to discuss practical aspects related to the implementation of the legal framework ahead of these two ballots. Key discussions focused on the stability of electoral law, the role of public authorities during the referendum campaign, media and social media cov... read more
04/09/2024 - 05/09/2024
Sarajevo, 4-5 September 2024 – Implementing innovative solutions to enhance the transparency and efficiency of the elections was discussed during the workshop co-organised by the Venice Commission and the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The workshop took place in the context of the upcoming local elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, scheduled for 6 October 2024, where digital technologies for biometric identification and authentication of voters, electronic transfer of results from the polling stations to the CEC, ballot scanning, and video surveillance of th... read more
03/09/2024
By letter dated 3 September 2024, the Minister of Justice of Poland, Mr Adam Bodnar, requested an Opinion on the draft constitutional amendments concerning the Constitutional Tribunal and two draft laws on the Constitutional Tribunal.
The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 141st Plenary Session of the Commission (Venice, 06-07 December 2024).
07/08/2024
Following the presidential elections in Venezuela, the Bureau of the Venice Commission expresses its serious concern and recalls the importance of respecting international standards of electoral law, as defined in particular by Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 23 of the American Convention on Human Rights, both ratified by Venezuela, and the Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters drafted by the Venice Commission. In this respect, the Bureau recalls the Commission's opinion on the legal issues relating to the election of a National Constitu... read more
05/08/2024
By letter dated 5 August 2024, the Minister of Justice of Kyrgyzstan, Mr Ayaz Baetov, requested an Opinion on the draft law on amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code concerning bail and videoconferencing in criminal proceedings.
The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 140th Plenary Session of the Commission (Venice, 11-12 October 2024).
05/08/2024
By letter dated 5 August 2024, the Minister of Justice of Armenia, Mr Grigor Minasyan, requested a Joint Opinion of the Venice Commission and the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law on the draft Constitutional Law on Making Supplements and Amendments to the Constitutional Law "Judicial Code of the Republic of Armenia".
The draft joint opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 140th Plenary Session of the Commission (Venice, 11-12 October 2024).
07/2024
15-16/07/2024, Maputo, Mozambique – The Conference of Constitutional Jurisdictions of Portuguese-speaking countries held its VIth Assembly on 15 and 16 July 2024 on "The Constitutional Jurisdiction and other powers".
A representative of the Venice Commission participated in the event and delivered an opening speech. The Assembly was followed by the meeting of the Council of Presidents which elected the Constitutional Court of Cape Verde as the presiding court in the Conference for the biennium 2024-2026.
15/07/2024
By letter dated 15 July 2024, the Minister of Justice of Poland, Mr Adam Bodnar, requested an Opinion of the Venice Commission on the draft law concerning the separation of the Prosecutor General and the Minister of Justice.
The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 140th Plenary Session of the Commission (Venice, 11-12 October 2024).
12/07/2024 - 12/07/2024
Yerevan / online – On 12 July 2024, a Venice Commission representative participated in an on-line meeting organised by a joint working group of the Ministry of Justice and the Parliament of Armenia in the framework of their work on the draft law on national minorities. During this meeting which took place as a follow up to the Joint Opinion of the Venice Commission and the Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity on the draft law on national minorities (CDL-AD(2024)019) adopted by the Venice Commission at its 139th plenary session, the Venice Commission representative who was Rappor... read more
12/07/2024
By letter dated 12 July 2024, the Minister of Justice of Armenia, Mr Grigor Minasyan, requested a Joint Opinion of the Venice Commission and the Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity on the draft legislative amendments and supplements to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Mass Media.
The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 140th Plenary Session of the Commission (Venice, 11-12 October 2024).
10/07/2024
The Government of Montenegro has made a voluntary contribution to support the activities of the Venice Commission.
The agreement was signed on 10 July 2024 by Ambassador Božidarka Krunić, Permanent Representative of Montenegro to the Council of Europe, and Mr Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General.
10/07/2024
By letter dated 10 July 2024, the Minister of Justice of Poland, Mr Adam Bodnar, requested an Opinion of the Venice Commission on European standards regulating the status of judges.
The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 140th Plenary Session of the Commission (Venice, 11-12 October 2024).
09/07/2024 - 09/07/2024
Sarajevo / online – Mr Kuijer, Vice-President of the Venice Commission, participated online as a keynote speaker in the Policy dialogue on the draft law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was organised by the EU4Justice in cooperation with the Norwegian-funded Judicial Capacity Building project.
The intervention took place during the opening session. The event aimed at increasing awareness about the Venice Commission Follow-up Interim Opinion on the previous opinions on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council and ensuring inclusive c... read more
09/07/2024
Strasbourg – By letter dated 9 July 2024, the European Court of Human Rights requested an Amicus Curiae brief in the case of Staderini and Others v. Italy on the stability of electoral legislation and the electoral system.
The draft Amicus curiae brief will be submitted for adoption at the 141st Plenary Session of the Commission (Venice, 6-7 December 2024).
08/07/2024
On 8 July, the Venice Commission participated in an informal exchange of views with representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs) which was organised in the Council of Europe on the initiative of the Chair of the Committee of Ministers’ Rapporteur Group on Legal Co-operation (GR-J). The exchange of views aimed to liaise the Venice Commission with CSOs making use and giving visibility to the Venice Commission’s Rule of Law Checklist, in view of its planned updating as further implementation of the Reykjavík Declaration. Also it aimed to enable CSOs to provide feedback on the use and im... read more
04/07/2024 - 05/07/2024
Ostroh / online – Mr Tuori, Honorary President of the Venice Commission, participated in the VIIth International Scientific and Practical Conference “Administrative Justice in Ukraine: Issues of Theory and Practice. Judicial Protection of Political and Civil Rights and Freedoms of Pre-War, War and Post-War Periods”, which was organised by the Administrative Cassation Court within the Supreme Court of Ukraine.
The intervention took place during the second session, on “Protection and restriction of freedom of association in political parties and civil organisations; implementation of... read more
Participation of the Venice Commission in the High-Level Dialogue III
“Good democratic governance in Ukraine: achievements, challenges and the way forward in post-war period”
03/07/2024 - 03/07/2024
Strasbourg – A member of the Venice Commission participated in the High-Level Dialogue III “Good democratic governance in Ukraine: achievements, challenges and the way forward in post-war period”.
The intervention took place during the session on “Political rights and challenges to national security in a war and post-war context in Ukraine and the implementation of international standards”.
02/07/2024 - 03/07/2024
Chişinǎu, Republic of Moldova – Ms Veronika Bílková, Vice-President of the Venice Commission, participated in the Regional Conference on Money in Politics. The conference was jointly organised by the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Moldova, the Intemational Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), the Council of Europe, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the International Republican Institute (IRl) and the Wes... read more
27/06/2024 - 27/06/2024
Ms Veronika Bílková, Vice-President of the Venice Commission, made a presentation on “Regulating foreign influence: best practices and European standards” during a joint hearing of the Monitoring Committee and the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Furthermore, the Vice-President also participated in a joint hearing of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights with the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy on “Examining the legitimacy and legality of the ad hominem term-limit waiver for the incumbent Pre... read more
International conference on "The Internationalisation of the law on political elections"
27/06/2024 - 28/06/2024
Grenoble, France - A representative of the Venice Commission is taking part in a conference on "The Internationalisation of the law on political elections", organised by the University of Grenoble, with a presentation on "European electoral heritage, an expression of universal principles?" and a contribution to a round table on the "Role of organisations in Europe".
27/06/2024 - 27/06/2024
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Ms Claire Bazy Malaurie, President of the Venice Commission, took part in the Ministerial Conference “Negotiations on the Accession of the Western Balkan Countries to the European Union (Negotiation Chapter 23 – Judiciary, Fight against Corruption and Fundamental Rights) and the Remaining Steps to this Phase”, which was held in Sarajevo on 27 June 2024.
The President of the Venice Commission was invited to give an opening speech at the conference and participated in the ministerial panel together with the Ministers of Justice of Bosnia and Herzeg... read more