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Newsletter 3/2010 - August 2010
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20th anniversary webpage ( updated) |
Foreword by
Thomas MARKERT
Dear Reader!
The celebration of the 20th anniversary of the
Commission on 5 June was the highlight of the Commission’s
activities in recent months. The large attendance at this
event, including leading politicians, diplomats and
representatives of the legal community confirmed the
importance the Commission has acquired over the 20 years of
its existence. |
All
speakers confirmed the outstanding Commission's contribution to the
promotion of the Council of Europe values especially but not only in
the new democracies in Central and Eastern Europe. Nobody could have
expected, when the Commission was established, that it would become
such an important body.
The
plenary session the previous day as well as the requests for
opinions addressed to the Commission subsequently showed that demand
for the Commission’s services is continuing to increase. The
Commission is currently involved in two major constitutional
reforms, in Georgia and Kyrgyzstan, and it adopted opinions on the
electoral legislation of four countries (Belarus, Georgia, Moldova
and Montenegro). Other sensitive issues on the Commission’s agenda
include amendments to the Law on Defence of the Russian Federation,
the Slovak law on the state language and judicial reform in Ukraine.
Thomas Markert,
Director, Secretary of the Venice Commission
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In
this issue: |
Highlights
of the June 2010 session
Recent events
Publications
Forthcoming
activities
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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE JUNE 2010 SESSION |
At its 83rd plenary session on 4
June 2010, the Commission:
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held an
exchange of views with Mr Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of
the Council of Europe;
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adopted opinions on the following issues:
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Opinions on electoral legislation
The
Commission adopted opinions on the Electoral Codes of Belarus,
Georgia, Moldova and Montenegro.
(more...)
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Kyrgyzstan - opinion on constitutional reform and June 2010
referendum
On 23 April 2010 Mr Omourbek Tekebaev, Vice
–President of the provisional government of Kyrgyzstan asked the
Venice Commission to examine the new draft Constitution which will
be submitted to referendum on 27 June.
(more...) |
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Documents of transnational interest
The
Commission adopted two documents of transnational interest, i.e.
report on counter-terrorism measure and human rights and the joint
with the OSCE guidelines on freedom of assembly.
(more...) |
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02/07/2010
On 2 July 2010, in the
course of her visit to Europe, at the closing of the
Strategic Partnership Commission meeting in Kiyv,
Ukraine, US Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton mentioned
the Venice Commission in connection with the judicial reform
in Ukraine.
Link to the full text of the remarks
Link to the "References" page of the Commission
26/4/2010 –
Former member of the Commission for Croatia
Mr Stanko Nick, who was the one of the first to participate in
the work of the Commission since its establishment in
1990, passed away.
A diplomat
always constructive in his remarks, showing great
knowledge and integrity, Mr Nick was a member of the
Commission’s Bureau, a member of the sub-commissions for
minorities, for international law, for federal and
regional states and for the Mediterranean.
In Mr Nick’s
memory the Commission held a minute's silence at its 83rd
session.
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22/6/2010 -
PACE elects substitute member of the Venice Commission
Angelika Nussberger judge at the European Court of Human
Rights (link to the press release, cv and results of
voting by the PACE)
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Meetings since the March 2010 plenary |
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Democratic Institutions and Fundamental Rights
Request for opinion
on the amendments to the law on Defence of the
Russian Federation -
17/03/2010
(more..) |
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Elections and referendums
"The
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" - electoral
reform
17/03/2010 - 18/03/2010
(more...) |
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Constitutional and Ordinary Justice
International Association
of Constitutional
Law
17/04/2010
(more...)
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Available
now from the Council of Europe Publishing:
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Available
from the Secretariat of the Venice Commission
:
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Annual
Report of Activities - 2009
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20 years of
the Venice Commission - Key facts
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Publications
of the Venice Commission
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Opinions
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Belarus
–
warning to the journalists by the Ministry of Justice and
freedom of media
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Bosnia
and Herzegovina
- amicus curiae opinion on the constitutionality of
certain provisions of the election law
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Bulgaria
– draft law on state forfeiture, draft amendments to the law on
judicial power and to the criminal code
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Georgia
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constitutional reform
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Norway
- certain aspects of the electoral system
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Russian
Federation
– amendments to the law on defence
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Slovakia
- law
on state language
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Ukraine
- new law on judiciary and status of judges and some aspects of
the prevention of the abuse of the right to appeal, peaceful
gatherings, electoral code
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United
Kingdom
–
election observers' code of practice
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Compatibility of acts by UNMIK and EULEX with European standards
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Studies
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Evaluation of elections
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Extra-institutional actors in the
democratic system
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Freedom of religion - joint OSCE - VC
guidelines
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Good governance
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Independence of the judiciary -
part II - prosecutors
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Individual access to constitutional justice
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Role of the opposition
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Rule of law
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Voting abroad
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Link to
the calendar of the forthcoming conferences and meetings |
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