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”.
28/11/2024 - 29/11/2024
Madrid – The Venice Commission, in co-operation with the Centre for Constitutional and Political Studies (CEPC), organised an international seminar on “Private Powers and the Rule of Law” in Madrid on 28 and 29 November 2024.
This seminar focused on how globalisation and digitalisation have converged in the emergence of “new” private powers, vast global financial and digital powers, which - by virtue of their size and their relevance in the day-to-day functioning of society - have shown capable of imposing a legal framework favourable to their interests, often escaping the regulat... read more
25/11/2024 - 26/11/2024
Mexico City, Mexico – Mr Oscar Sanchez Muñoz, substitute member of the Venice Commission in respect of Spain, participated in the National Meeting of judges of electoral courts of Mexico organised by the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Power of the Federation (TEPJF), which took place in Mexico City on 25 and 26 November 2024.
Mr Sanchez Muñoz presented an analysis of the case-law of the electoral jurisdictions during the 2024 elections in the light of international standards. This activity is a follow-up to the participation of the Commission’s delegation in the election obser... read more
21/11/2024 - 22/11/2024
Gdańsk, Poland – Mr Oliver Kask, substitute member of the Venice Commission in respect of Estonia, participated in the Annual Implementation Meeting of the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, which took place in Gdańsk on 21 and 22 November 2024. Mr Kask represented the Venice Commission during Session 4 on “Observer Rights and the Impact of Intimidation and Obstruction”, to present the Commission’s ongoing work on Election Observers as Human Rights Defenders.
The Venice Commission endorsed the United Nation’s Declaration of Principles for Internationa... read more
19/11/2024
Belgrade, 18-19/11/2024 - The President of the Venice Commission, Ms Claire Bazy Malaurie, took part in the Belgrade Security Conference 2024 (Belgrade, 18-20 November 2024) in a panel devoted to “The Judiciary as the Guardian of Fundamental Values: Keeping the Rule of Law at the Center of the EU Accession Policy”.
The other panelists were Mr Christoph Grabenwarter, President of the Austrian Constitutional Court, and Ms Angelika Nussberger, International Judge at the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, both members of the Venice Commission, as well as Ms Mirjana Lazar... read more
18/11/2024
On 18 November 2024, a delegation from the Venice Commission conducted a series of online meetings in preparation of its draft opinion regarding the implementation of Constitutional Court decisions by parliament in Albania. This opinion was requested by the Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania.
The delegation engaged in discussions with representatives from different groups of the Parliament, civil society organisations and the Delegation of the European Union to Albania.
The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 141st Plenary Session of the C... read more
15/11/2024 - 15/11/2024
Yerevan, Armenia, 15 November 2024: The 21st Meeting of the Joint Council on Constitutional Justice (JCCJ) of the Venice Commission took place on 15 November 2024 in Yerevan, Armenia. This gathering brought together liaison officers and representatives from constitutional courts to discuss key topics of cooperation, including:
• Updates on the CODICES database and the e-Bulletin on Constitutional Case-Law.
• Further development of the Venice Forum.
• Recent opinions and studies by the Venice Commission on constitutional justice.
Mr Valentin Georgiev, Secretary ... read more
14/11/2024 - 15/11/2024
Yerevan, Armenia, 14-15 November 2024: The Venice Commission in collaboration with the Constitutional Court of Armenia and the Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law (DGI) of the Council of Europe organised a high-level conference titled “Respect for the Decisions of Constitutional Courts”.
The conference brought together constitutional court judges, members of the Venice Commission, judges of the European Court of Human Rights, representatives of the Council of Europe, legal experts, and representatives from International organisations and national institutions to ad... read more
12/11/2024
On 12 November 2024, a delegation from the Venice Commission conducted a series of online meetings in preparation of its draft opinion concerning the draft Law on the Judicial Academy, as well as proposed amendments to the Law on Judges and the Law on the Public Prosecutor’s Office. This opinion was requested by the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Serbia, Ms Maja Popović.
The delegation engaged in discussions with various stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Judicial Academy, the Supreme Court, the High Judicial Council, the High Prosecut... read more
06/11/2024
By letter dated 6 November 2024, the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, Ms Veronica Mihailov-Moraru, has requested the Venice Commission to provide opinion on the draft law on the Constitutional Court.
The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 142nd Plenary Session of the Commission (Venice, 14-15 March 2025).
06/11/2024
Strasbourg, 06/11/2024 - On 6 November, the President of the Venice Commission, Ms Claire Bazy Malaurie, held her yearly exchange of views with the Committee of Ministers specifically devoted to the impact of the Commission's work.
President Bazy Malaurie provided an overview of the substantive follow up given to the Venice Commission’s recommendations, underlining that the opinions of the Venice Commission have produced an impact throughout the process, from the moment the requests were made until after their adoption. Follow up was achieved through continuing dialogue with the a... read more
05/11/2024
Ms Simona Granata-Menghini, Director, Secretary of the Venice Commission, gave a presentation on the updating of the Rule of Law Checklist to the T-PD, which is the Council of Europe’s Consultative Committee of the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data (ETS No. 108). This presentation was followed by an exchange of views with the Committee and is part of the process of updating the Rule of Law Checklist on the basis of the experience gained since its adoption in 2016. To this end, feedback is provided by the main stakeholders, includ... read more
05/11/2024 - 05/11/2024
Skopje – Following the presidential and parliamentary elections held in North Macedonia on 24 April and 8 May 2024, the Venice Commission and the State Election Commission of North Macedonia (SEC) organised a post-election workshop for members and staff of the SEC and of several Municipal Election Commissions of the city of Skopje and surrounding areas.
The workshop, which took place in Skopje on 5 November 2024, brought together election officials, representatives of the Venice Commission and international experts. It focussed on lessons learned from the 2024 elections, in partic... read more
03/11/2024 - 03/11/2024
Chisinau - A delegation of the Venice Commission, including Ms Veronika Bílková, Vice-President of the Venice Commission and member in respect of Czechia, accompanied the election observation delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to advise on the legal framework during the 2nd round of the presidential elections in the Republic of Moldova on 3 November 2024.
The delegation observed the opening, voting and counting processes of the election.
31/10/2024 - 01/11/2024
On 31 October and 1 November 2024, the President of the Venice Commission attended a ceremony and participated in a conference on “STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY - 50 years since the re-ratification of the ECHR by Greece and 75 years since the founding of the Council of Europe”, organised by the Presidency of the Hellenic Republic and the Hellenic Parliament in Athens. President Bazy Malaurie was a panelist of the session titled “National courts and the disruption of democracy” and delivered a speech on “The experience of the Venice Commission for the restoration of democracy in the States of Easter... read more
30/10/2024
28-30/10/24 - Haiti - Organisation of American States - Constitutional and legislative solutions for the conduct of future electoral procedures in Haiti
Following the request of Mr. Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) on the constitutional and legislative solutions that could serve as a basis for the conduct of future electoral procedures in Haiti and the adoption of an interim opinion by the Commission, the OAS welcomed a delegation of the Venice Commission at its headquarters in Washington DC.
The OAS Secretary General and the P... read more
30/10/2024 - 03/11/2024
Victoria Falls – The 7th Congress of the Conference of Constitutional Jurisdictions of Africa on "Human dignity as a foundational value and principle: A source of constitutional interpretation, fundamental human rights protection and enforcement" took place in Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) from 30 October to 3 November 2024.
The President Emeritus and Special Representative of the Venice Commission, Mr Gianni Buquicchio, participated in the event and delivered an opening speech.
29/10/2024
Kyiv, Ukraine/on-line – Mr Philip Dimitrov, Member of the Venice Commission in respect of Bulgaria, participated in the XІI International Forum on “Implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights in Ukraine” co-organised by the OSCE, the Council of Europe, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, the Supreme Court, and the National School of Judges of Ukraine.
On behalf of the Venice Commission, Mr Dimitrov delivered an on-line speech in Session II “Integrity of the judiciary: in search of the criteria for evaluation”.
28/10/2024
Tbilisi – Representatives of the Venice Commission provided legal support to the election observation delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) at the occasion of the parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024 in Georgia.
The delegation participated in briefings before and after the elections, and observed the opening, voting and counting processes.
The Venice Commission has issued several opinions on Georgia’s electoral framework, most recently:
2024 OECD Forum on Democracy
25/10/2024
The Director, Secretary of the Venice Commission, Ms Granata-Menghni participated in the 2024 OECD Global Forum on Building Trust and Reinforcing Democracy, giving a presentation on “The new frontier of democracy and prosperity: Promoting the rule of law by providing access to justice for all”.
The event was held on 21st October in Milan.
The event brought together Ministers, senior government officials, civil society and private sector stakeholders from all parts of the world.
24/10/2024 - 25/10/2024
Mr Martin Kuijer, Vice-President of the Venice Commission, participated in the Second Annual Conference of the Balkan Constitutional Courts Forum which took place in Pristina, Kosovo, on 24-25 October 2024, alongside the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo. The event focused on the theme “Evolutions in Contemporary Constitutional Justice: The Example of the Balkan Region”.
Mr. Martin Kuijer delivered a presentation titled “Constitutional Courts as Guardians of Democratic Values and Principles: A Perspective from Venice”, where he discussed the ... read more
23/10/2024 - 23/10/2024
Sofia, Bulgaria – A delegation of the Venice Commission, including Mr Richard Barrett, member of the Venice Commission in respect of Ireland, provided legal support to the election observation delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) at the occasion of the early parliamentary elections of 27 October 2024 in Bulgaria.
The delegation participated in briefings before and after the elections, and observed the opening, voting and counting processes.
21/10/2024
Yerevan, Armenia/on-line - Ms Adele Matheson Mestad, substitute member of the Venice Commission in respect of Norway, participated in the international conference “Ombuds Institutions and NHRIs amid Turbulent Times: Resilience and Challenges”, dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Human Rights Defender’s Institute of the Republic of Armenia. Ms Matheson Mestad participated, on behalf of the Venice Commission, in Session I, titled : “Institutional influence of Ombuds institutions / NHRIs on the human rights protection system: The core principles of independence and impartiality”.
20/10/2024
On 20 October, two key electoral events took place simultaneously in the Republic of Moldova: the presidential election and a constitutional referendum on the country’s integration into the European Union (EU). A delegation of the Venice Commission, including Ms Veronika Bílková, Vice-President of the Venice Commission and member in respect of Czechia, provided legal support to the observer delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Moldovan citizens were called to vote on two significant matters: first, to elect their next President, who will serve a four... read more
Rule of Law Conference and Judicial Independence in Europe
17/10/2024
The Secretary of the Venice Commission participated in a conference on the Rule of Law and Judicial Independence in Europe, organized by the faculty of law of the University of Barcelona on 16th October in Barcelona.
16/10/2024 - 18/10/2024
Québec - Ms Claudia Monti, member of the Venice Commission in respect of Luxembourg, participated in the 12th Congress of the Association of the Francophone Ombudsmen and Mediators: “The Ombudsman's challenges in defending the rule of law” in Québec City, Canada. Ms Monti took part in a panel titled: “International principles to the rescue of threatened institutions”, focusing on the support that the Venice Commission can offer to Ombudsman institutions, notably through the Principles for the Protection and Promotion of the Institution of Ombudsman, the "Venice Principles".
14/10/2024 - 15/10/2024
Warsaw - On 14 and 15 October, a delegation of the Venice Commission conducted a visit to Warsaw, Poland, to prepare an Opinion on the Laws on the Constitutional Tribunal and draft constitutional amendments concerning the Constitutional Tribunal. This Opinion was requested by the Minister of Justice of Poland on 4 September 2024.
The Venice Commission delegation met with the Minister of Justice, Members of Parliament (governing coalition and opposition parties), Constitutional Tribunal, Chancellery of the President, Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights, a former President of the Constit... read more
11/10/2024 - 12/10/2024
Venice, Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista - On 11-12 October 2024 the Venice Commission will hold its third plenary session of the year, with an agenda that includes, in particular, seven opinions concerning three countries (Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Poland).
14/10/2024
On 14 October 2024 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of San Marino and the Venice Commission organised in San Marino a conference titled “Aspects of Constitutionalism in European small-sized States”, under the auspices of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset. The conference brought together international and constitutional law experts and representatives of Council of Europe monitoring and expert bodies. The conference was composed of three sessions focusing on: Constitutional aspects of European small-sized States; The interaction between European small-sized States and... read more
04/10/2024 - 05/10/2024
Rabat - The Venice Commission and the Secretariat General of the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco are organising an international conference entitled “International Conventions in the Internal Legal Order : place and reception”. The conference will take place in Rabat on 4-5 October 2024. It will gather senior civil servants from various Moroccan ministries and other state bodies, Venice Commission members and experts from France, Greece, Italy and Tunisia as well as representatives from the National Human Rights Council, the academia and non-governmental organisations of Morocco.
Th... read more
03/10/2024 - 04/10/2024
Ankara - On 3 and 4 October 2024, a delegation of the Venice Commission carried out a mission to Türkiye in the context of the preparation of an Opinion on the composition of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors and the procedure for the election of its members.
The Venice Commission delegation met in Ankara with Members of the National Assembly; the Deputy Minister of Justice and other officials of the Ministry of Justice; the Acting President and other representatives of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors; the Secretary General of the Court of Cassation; the Vice-president ... read more
03/10/2024 - 03/10/2024
The Venice Commission was invited to participate in the Cyprus Forum 2024 in Nicosia, Cyprus, on 3 October 2024. Ms Hanna Suchocka, Honorary President of the Venice Commission, represented the Commission and participated in the panel on “Attorney General Powers”. The Cyprus Forum is the largest policy-making conference in Cyprus, co-organized by the NGO Oxygen for Democracy and the University of Cyprus, in collaboration with the Delphi Economic Forum in Greece. The forum brings together key figures from the public and private sectors, initiating dialogue on key areas of public policy.
02/10/2024
Strasbourg / online – Mr Ben Vermeulen, expert and former member of the Venice Commission in respect of the Netherlands, participated online in the meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly, which took place in Strasbourg on 2 October 2024, during the 4th Part of the Ordinary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly.
An exchange of views took place on recent developments in the country and on the follow-up of the Venice Commission’s Opinion on the constitutional amendments adopted by the Hungarian parliament in December 2020.
26/09/2024
Paphos, Cyprus - The Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Cyprus co-organised, with the Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen (AOM) and the Venice Commission a regional conference entitled “Protecting human rights in the digital area and in social media”. The conference took place on September 26 in Paphos, Cyprus. Participants discussed the development of new technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) and the challenges for the Ombudsmen and Mediators from both shores of the Mediterranean in the field of human rights protection... read more
25/09/2024
By letter dated 13 September 2024, the Speaker of the Parliament of Albania, Ms Elisa Spiropali, requested an opinion of the Venice Commission on the relationship between the representative parliamentary democracy and the binding rulings of the Constitutional Court in the context of the role of the Assembly in examining motions on the incompatibility of an MP's mandate.
The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 141st plenary session of the Commission (6 7 December 2024).
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
20/09/2024
Bishkek - On 20 September 2024, the Vice-President of the Venice Commission, Ms Veronika Bilkova, participated in the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the judicial system of the Kyrgyz Republic which was held in Bishkek and organized by the Supreme Court of the Kyrgyz Republic.
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
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
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
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 - 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 rights", 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 pres... 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
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.
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
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
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.
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).
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).
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.
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
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).
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.
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
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
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 took 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
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
25/06/2024
Strasbourg – The President of the Venice Commission Ms Claire Bazy Malaurie held a meeting in Strasbourg with Mr Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
On this occasion they exchanged on their respective activities and discussed potential synergies and avenues for future cooperation. Their discussions illustrated the extent to which the rule of law and human rights are mutually reinforcing, and the need for the rule of law to be fully aligned with human rights.
21/06/2024 - 22/06/2024
Venice, Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista - On 21-22 June 2024 the Venice Commission held its second plenary session of the year, with an agenda that included 17 opinions concerning eight countries (Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Haiti, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, and Poland).
20/06/2024
Venice, Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista - The 80th meeting of the Council for Democratic Elections was held on 20 June 2024 in Venice, Italy. During this meeting, the Council approved:
• the draft Opinion on amendments to the Election Code which abolish gender quotas of Georgia;
• the draft Follow-up Opinion to the Joint Opinion on the draft amendments to the Election Code and to the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Georgia;
• the draft Interim Opinion on possible legislative solutions to conduct future electoral processes in Haiti;
• the draft Opinion ... read more
13/06/2024 - 15/06/2024
Paris – The Association of the French-speaking Constitutional Courts (ACCF) held its Conference of the Heads of Institutions on the following topic: "Constitutional protection of the freedom of expression". A representative of the Venice Commission participated in the event.
12/06/2024 - 13/06/2024
Salé - A seminar on the exception of unconstitutionality of laws is organised in Salé, Morocco, from 12 to 13 June 2024 by the Venice Commission and the Ministry of Justice of the Kingdom of Morocco. The seminar will bring together around fifty participants from the Ministry of Justice, other ministries, ordinary judges and representatives of academia and the bar as well as a delegation from the Venice Commission led by its Vice-President, Ms. Marta CARTABIA.
The seminar aims to examine the state of play regarding the development of the organic law on the exception of unconstitutionality... read more
11/06/2024
Strasbourg - The Czech Republic made a voluntary contribution of € 8 090 in support of the Venice Commission to promote the development of democratic institutions based on the respect of the rule of law and human rights.
The agreement was signed on 11 June 2024 by Ambassador Petr Válek, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the Council of Europe, and Mr Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
11/06/2024
On 11 June 2024, the joint EU/Council of Europe Central Asia Rule of Law Programme 2020-2024, financed by the Council of Europe and the European Union and implemented by the Council of Europe, held its Closing Regional Conference in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The event gathered around 80 participants representing national partner institutions from Central Asia, including relevant ministries, Constitutional and Supreme courts, Ombudsman institutions, Law enforcement agencies, Anti-corruption authorities, National training institutions of legal professionals, the representatives of civil s... read more
10/06/2024 - 11/06/2024
Sarajevo – A delegation of the Venice Commission conducted a visit to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, within the context of the preparation of its Interim Follow-up Opinion to previous Opinions on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This opinion follows a request by Minister of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 10 May 2024.
The Venice Commission delegation met with the Minister of Justice, several representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly, the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, as well as with representatives of the Parliamentary ... read more
09/06/2024
Sofia - Representatives of the Venice Commission will accompany the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) election observation delegation to advise it on the legal framework for the early parliamentary elections of 9 June 2024 in Bulgaria.
The delegation will participate in briefings before and after the elections, and observe the opening, voting and counting processes.
POLAND - President of the Venice Commission, met with Mr Adam Bodnar, the Minister of Justice of Poland
06/06/2024
Strasbourg – Ms Claire Bazy Malaurie, President of the Venice Commission, met with Mr Adam Bodnar, the Minister of Justice of Poland, to discuss the legal reforms planned by the Polish government and the ongoing cooperation between the Venice Commission and the Ministry of Justice.
06/06/2024
Mr Michael Frendo, member of the Venice Commission for Malta, made a presentation on the situation in Haiti during the discussion on “the review of needs and regional commitments” on the occasion of the Regular Meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS).
05/06/2024
Strasbourg – The President of the Venice Commission Ms Claire Bazy Malaurie held a meeting in Strasbourg with Mr Miroslav Lajčák, EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues.
On this occasion they exchanged on their respective activities.
05/06/2024
Strasbourg - The President of the Venice Commission, Ms Claire Bazy Malaurie, presented the 2023 Annual Report of Activities of the Commission to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
President Bazy Malaurie noted that in 2023 the Venice Commission adopted 47 Opinions, a figure in line with the increase in the three previous years. Thus, the Commission continued to provide legal advice to its member States helping them bring their legal and institutional structures into line with European standards in the fields of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. In 202... read more
30/05/2024
Strasbourg – On 30 May 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 law on amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences of the Kyrgyz Republic introducing penalties for insult and slander. The opinion follows a request by the Minister of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr Ayaz Baetov, made on 22 April 2024.
The Venice Commission delegation met online with representatives of the Ministry of Justice, as well as with representatives of civil society orga... read more
30/05/2024
Sarajevo – On 30 May 2024, a delegation of the Venice Commission held online meetings, in preparation of its draft Opinion on the method of electing judges to the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This Opinion was requested by the then-Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr Željko Komšić, on 15 March 2024.
The delegation met on-line with the President of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, advisors to the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Office of the High Representative and representatives of the European Union delegation i... read more
30/05/2024 - 31/05/2024
The President of the Venice Commission, took part in the Political Affairs and Democracy Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly plenary meeting, which was held in Oslo on 30 and 31 May in Oslo, Norway.
The President of the Venice Commission was invited to give a speech during the hearing under the item "General Rapporteur on Democracy" on Thursday 30 May.
The speech focused on the work carried out by the Venice Commission to assist States in the constitutional and legislative field with a view to guaranteeing the democratic functioning of their institutions and respect for fundamen... read more
29/05/2024
29 May, Madrid (5-7 p.m.) – The Centre of Political and Constitutional Studies of Spain (CEPC) and the Venice Commission organised an event to present the Report on Bicameralism adopted by the Venice Commission in March 2024. The report analyses good practices on bicameralism based on information collected about the 61 Venice Commission member states. Speakers at the event included Venice Commission rapporteurs Rafael Bustos (Spain, member) and Janine M. Otálora (Mexico, substitute member) and CEPC director Rosario García Mahamut. The event was held in Spanish.
29/05/2024
Strasbourg - The Netherlands made a voluntary contribution of €30 000 in support of the Venice Commission to promote the development of democratic institutions based on the respect of the rule of law and human rights.
28/05/2024 - 28/05/2024
Chisinau – On 28 May 2024 a delegation of the Venice Commission held a series of online meetings with stakeholders in the Republic of Moldova within the context of the preparation of an opinion on the Law of the Republic of Moldova on the partial implementation of the postal vote. The opinion follows a request from the President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Mr Igor Grosu, made on 3 May 2024.
The Venice Commission delegation met online with representatives of the Parliament and the Central Electoral Commission, as well as with representatives of civil society organi... read more
28/05/2024 - 02/06/2024
A delegation of the Venice Commission travelled to Mexico City in the framework of the 2024 federal electoral process of Mexico.
The Venice Commission delegation participated both in the Electoral Justice Forum for Foreign Visitors organised by the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (TEPJF) on 28 and 29 May 2024, and in the Foreign Visitors Program organised by the National Electoral Institute (INE) and the TEPJF from 30 May to 2 June 2024.
This visit took place in the context of the Commission's longstanding co-operation with the TEPJF and with the IN... read more
27/05/2024
Strasbourg – On 27 May 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 amendments to the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic on Regulatory Legal Acts. The opinion follows a request by the Minister of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr Ayaz Baetov, made on 30 April 2024.
The Venice Commission delegation met online with representatives of the Ministry of Justice, as well as with representatives of civil society organisations.
The opinion will be submitted for adoption ... read more
Participation of the Venice Commission’s Vice-President in the Parliamentary Assembly Standing Committee’s debate on democracy in Georgia
24/05/2024
Vilnius - Ms Veronika Bílková, Vice-President of the Venice Commission, participated online in the Standing Committee of Parliamentary Assembly's Current affairs debate on 'Recent challenges to democracy in Georgia", which took place in Vilnius on 24 May 2024.
The Vice-President presented the recent Venice Commission Urgent Opinion on the Law of Georgia on Transparency of Foreign Influence and held an exchange of views with the members.
22/05/2024 - 23/05/2024
Ms. Claire Bazy Malaurie, President of the Venice Commission, participated in the 19th Congress of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts (CECC) held in Chisinau.
She delivered a welcome speech at the conference. The event featured the following panels:
Interaction between constitutional courts and supranational courts,
Political and legal aspects within the jurisdiction of constitutional courts,
Safeguarding constitutional principles during a state of emergency,
The forms and limits of judicial deference: the experience of constitutional courts.
Ms Baz... read more
22/05/2024 - 23/05/2024
On 22-23 May 2024, Ms. Claire Bazy Malaurie, President of the Venice Commission, discussed the recent development in the Republic of Moldova during her meetings with Ms. Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova, Mr. Igor Grosu, President of the Parliament, Mr. Vlad Batrîncea, Vice President of the Parliament, Ms. Veronica Mihailov-Moraru, Minister of Justice, Mr. Ion Munteanu, Acting Prosecutor General and Mr. Dumitru Obadă, President of the Superior Council of Prosecutors.
22/05/2024
Strasbourg - Today the Venice Commission issued its Urgent Opinion on the draft amendments to the Law on Seizure and Confiscation of Material Benefit Derived from Criminal Activity.
The request for an Urgent Opinion was made on 10 April 2024 by the Minister of Justice of Montenegro.
The Urgent Opinion will be submitted for endorsement to the 139th plenary session of the Commission (Venice, 21-22 June 2024).
22/05/2024 - 23/05/2024
Tbilisi – A delegation of the Venice Commission held a series of online meetings with stakeholders in Georgia on 22 and 23 May 2024 within the context of the preparation of an opinion on amendments to the Election Code which abolish gender quotas. The opinion follows a request by the President 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 on 16 April 2024.
The Venice Commission delegation met with representatives of the Public Defender’s Office,... read more
21/05/2024
Strasbourg - Today the Venice Commission issued the Urgent Opinion on the Law of Georgia on Transparency of Foreign Influence.
This opinion follows a request by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 15 April 2024.
The Urgent Opinion will be submitted to the 139th plenary session of the Commission (Venice, 21-22 June 2024) for endorsement.
21/05/2024
Strasbourg – Today the Venice Commission issued its Urgent Opinion on the draft law on the prevention of corruption.
The request for an Urgent Opinion was made on 1 April 2024 by the Minister of Justice of Montenegro.
The Urgent Opinion will be submitted for endorsement by the 139th plenary session of the Commission (Venice, 21-22 June 2024).
Participation of the Venice Commission in the Parliamentary Assembly Monitoring Committee’s meeting
17/05/2024
Paris - Ms Katharina Pabel and Mr Oliver Kask, Substitute members of the Venice Commission in respect of Austria and Estonia respectively, participated online in the meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly, which took place in Paris on 17 May 2024.
They presented the recent Venice Commission Opinion on electoral reform in Armenia, which had been requested by the Monitoring Committee, and held an exchange of views with the members.
16/05/2024
Strasbourg – Today, the Venice Commission issued its Urgent Follow-up Opinions on the draft amendments to the Law on the State Prosecution Service and the Law on the Special State Prosecutor’s Office.
The request for urgent opinions was made on 1 April 2024 by the Minister of Justice of Montenegro.
The Urgent Follow-up Opinions will be submitted for endorsement by the 139th plenary session of the Commission (Venice, 21-22 June 2024).
14/05/2024
By letter dated 14 May 2024, the Minister of Justice of Armenia, Mr Grigor Minasyan, has requested an opinion of the Venice Commission and the Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law (DGI) of the Council of Europe on the draft amendments to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia. The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 140th Plenary Session of the Commission (Venice, 11-12 October 2024).
13/05/2024 - 13/05/2024
Strasbourg - The President of the Venice Commission, Ms Claire Bazy Malaurie, participated in an exchange of views during the first meeting of the Steering Committee on Democracy (CDDEM) on 13 May 2024.
The exchange with the Venice Commission and other key Council of Europe bodies was intended to provide input for the CDDEM's reflections on the development of parameters for the implementation of the Reykjavik Principles on Democracy, adopted at the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe.
The CDDEM’s mandate is to promote and facilitate thema... read more
13/05/2024 - 15/05/2024
The Organization of American States (OAS) today hosted a delegation of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (the Venice Commission) in Washington D.C., following the invitation of the OAS Secretary General, Luis Almagro, that the Commission “analyze the legislative framework for Haiti’s elections, along with the relevant recommendations of past OAS Electoral Observation Missions and help identify legislative solutions that could serve as a basis for conducting the next and future electoral processes in Haiti.”
The delegation was received by OAS Assistant Secretary General Ne... read more
13/05/2024 - 14/05/2024
Tbilisi – A delegation of the Venice Commission held a series of online meetings with stakeholders in Georgia on 13 and 14 May 2024 within the context of the preparation of an opinion on the draft constitutional law on the “protection of family values and minors”. The opinion follows a request by the President 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 on 16 April 2024.
The Venice Commission delegation met with representatives of the Ministry... read more
09/05/2024
By letter dated 9 May 2024, the Minister of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr Davor Bunoza, has requested an opinion of the Venice Commission on the draft law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 139th Plenary Session of the Commission (Venice, 21-22 June 2024).
08/05/2024
YEREVAN – A joint delegation of the Venice Commission and Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity of the Council of Europe (DGII) conducted a visit to Yerevan (Armenia) on 6 and 7 May 2024, in preparation for the joint opinion on the Draft Law on National Minorities. This opinion follows a request by the Ministry of Justice of Armenia.
The joint delegation met with the Deputy Minister of Justice, the Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, as well as representatives of the Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Council for National and Cult... read more
08/05/2024
Strasbourg – Today the Venice Commission issued the Urgent Joint Opinion of the Venice Commission and the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe on the draft law amending the Law on the National Council of the Judiciary of Poland.
This opinion follows a request by the President of the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States (Monitoring Committee) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 7 March 2024. Recourse to the urgent procedure was requested by the Minister of Justice of Poland.
read more
HAITI – Organization of American State - Electoral matters
06/05/2024
Further to a request from the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS), the Venice Commission will analyze the legislative framework for Haiti’s elections, along with the relevant recommendations of past OAS Electoral Observation Missions and help identify legislative solutions that could serve as a basis for conducting the next and future electoral processes in Haiti.
MONTENEGRO - Urgent Follow-up Opinion on the revised draft amendments to the Law on the Judicial Council and Judges
06/05/2024
Strasbourg – Today the Venice Commission issued its Urgent Follow-up Opinion on the revised draft amendments to the Law on the Judicial Council and Judges.
The request for urgent opinion was made on 1 April 2024 by the Minister of Justice of Montenegro.
The Urgent Follow-up Opinion will be submitted for endorsement by the 139th plenary session of the Commission (Venice, 21-22 June 2024).
03/05/2024
By letter dated 3 May 2024 the President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova has requested an opinion of the Venice Commission on the draft law on the partial implementation of the postal vote.
The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 139th Plenary Session of the Commission (Venice, 21-22 June 2024).
30/04/2024
Within the context of the preparation of four urgent opinions on Montenegro (Amendments to the Law on the Judicial Council and Judges; Amendments to the Law on the State Prosecution Service; Amendments to the Law on the Special State Prosecution Service; Amendments to the Law on Seizure and Confiscation of Material Benefit Derived from Criminal Activity), on 22, 23 and 30 April Venice Commission delegations consisting of rapporteurs and members of the Secretariat carried out on-line meetings with the State Secretary and other officials of the Ministry of Justice, representatives of judicial a... read more
29/04/2024 - 30/04/2024
Podgorica – A delegation of the Venice Commission conducted a visit to Podgorica, Montenegro, in the context of the preparation of its urgent opinion on the draft law on the prevention of corruption. This opinion follows a request by the Minister of Justice of Montenegro on 1 April 2024.
The Venice Commission delegation met with the Minister of Justice, Members of Parliament (ruling majority and opposition parties), the President of the Administrative Court and deputy directors of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, as well as representatives of civil society and th... read more
29/04/2024 - 02/05/2024
Tbilisi – The Venice Commission is preparing an urgent opinion on the draft law of Georgia on Transparency of Foreign Influence. A delegation of the Venice Commission is holding a series of online meetings with stakeholders in Georgia, within the context of the preparation of this urgent opinion. The opinion follows a request by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 15 April 2024.
The Venice Commission delegation met with the Public Defender and representatives of the diplomatic corps on Monday 29 April 2024 and with representatives of civil socie... read more
25/04/2024 - 26/04/2024
Warsaw – A delegation of the Venice Commission conducted a visit to Warsaw, Poland, within the context of the preparation of its urgent joint opinion, with the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe, on the draft law amending the Law on the National Council of the Judiciary of Poland. This opinion follows a request by the President of the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States (Monitoring Committee) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 7 March 2024. Recourse to the urgent procedure was requested by ... read more
24/04/2024
Skopje - Representatives of the Venice Commission accompanied the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) election observation delegation to advise it on the legal framework for the presidential elections (first round on 24 Avril and second round on 8 May 2024), and for the parliamentary elections of 8 May 2024 in North Macedonia.
The delegation participated in joint briefings with other international organisations, before and after the elections, and observed the opening, voting and counting processes.
23/04/2024 - 24/04/2024
Rabat, Morocco - The Venice Commission is organising, in co-operation with the Association of Ombudsmen and Mediators of the Francophonie (AOMF) and the Ombudsman of Morocco, a training workshop which will focus on the best interests of the child. This training will be held between 23 and 24 April in Rabat, Morocco and will bring together the collaborators of Mediators and Ombudsmen of the AOMF network.
Participants will discuss the issues and best practices of the institutions of Ombudsmen and Mediators concerning the best interests of the child with regard to legal procedures, in... read more
22/04/2024
By letter dated 22 April 2024, the Minister of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr Ayaz Baetov, requested an opinion of the Venice Commission on the draft Law "On amendments to the Code on Administrative Offences of the Kyrgyz Republic Introducing Penalties for Insult and Slander".
The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 139th plenary session of the Commission (21-22 June 2024).
18/04/2024
Brussels - Ms Marta Cartabia, Vice-President of the Venice Commission, took part in an exchange of views on the Spanish amnesty law with the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) of the European Parliament.
This exchange of views is a follow-up to the Opinion on the rule of law requirements of amnesties, with particular reference to the parliamentary bill of Spain “on the organic law on amnesty for the institutional, political and social normalisation of Catalonia”, adopted by the Venice Commission in March 2024.
18/04/2024 - 18/04/2024
By letter of 18 April 2024, the President of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe requested a Venice Commission opinion on the composition of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors of Türkiye and the procedure for the election of its members.
The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 140th plenary session of the Venice Commission (11-12 October2024).
18/04/2024 - 19/04/2024
Gdansk, Poland – The Venice Commission in cooperation with the University of Gdansk held a conference entitled “Elements and dynamics of the European legal standard”.
The participants addressed the topic of the conference through the following panels:
• An attempt to define the legal standard;
• In search of the legal standard on the separation of powers;
• The legal standard on the judiciary and the prosecutor's office;
• The legal standard on the constitutional judiciary;
• The significance of the legal standard for the democratic state of law in the EU... read more
16/04/2024
By letter of 16 April 2024, the President of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe requested two opinions of the Venice Commission:
- an opinion on the amendments to the Election Code and to the Law on Political Associations of Citizens as adopted by the Georgian Parliament on
4 April 2024, which abolish gender quotas,
- an opinion on the draft constitutional laws on “protection of family values and protection of minors” of Georgia.
The draft opinions will be submitted for adoption at the 139th plenary session of the Venice... read more
15/04/2024 - 15/04/2024
Strasbourg - the President of the Venice Commission, Ms Claire Bazy Malaurie, met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, Mr Mihail Popșoi, to discuss recent developments in the country.
10/04/2024
By letters of 1 April 2024 and 10 April 2024, the Minister of Justice of Montenegro, Mr Andrej Milović, requested urgent opinions of the Venice Commission on the following:
• the draft Law on Amendments to the Law on the Judicial Council and Judges;
• the draft Law on Amendments to the Law on the State Prosecution Service;
• the draft Law on the Prevention of Corruption;
• the draft Law on Amendments to the Law on the Special State Prosecution Service
• the draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Seizure and Confiscation of Material Benefit Derived from Criminal Activ... read more
25/03/2024 - 26/03/2024
Yerevan – A delegation of the Venice Commission travelled to Armenia and had an exchange of views with state authorities and other stakeholders in order to follow up on the joint opinion of the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR on the draft amendments to the Electoral Code and related legislation of Armenia, which the Commission adopted in October 2023. The delegation met with representatives of the following institutions:
• the Ministry of Justice, including the Deputy Minister of Justice,
• the Central Election Commission (CEC),
• the Standing Committee on State and ... read more
16/03/2024
"Pursuant to Article 1(1) of the Revised Statute of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice,’ “The World Conference on Constitutional Justice ... promotes constitutional justice, as a key element of democracy, the protection of human rights and the rule of law”. Pursuant to Article 4(b)(7) of the Revised Statute, the Bureau of the Conference may, inter alia, adopt resolutions in accordance with the World Conference’s objectives listed in Article 1. The communiqué adopted at the 5th Congress of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice acknowledged the role of constitutional courts... read more
16/03/2024
Venice - The 21st Bureau meeting of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice (WCCJ) convened on 16 March 2024, in Venice, alongside the 138th plenary session of the Venice Commission.
The WCCJ Bureau consists of ten regional and linguistic groups of constitutional courts and courts of equivalent jurisdiction, four courts representing the continents of Africa, the Americas, Asia/Oceania and Europe, as well as the host courts of the previous and the next WCCJ Congresses (Article 4(b)(1) of the WCCJ Statute).
The members of the WCCJ Bureau held an exchange of views ... read more
16/03/2024
At its 138th Plenary Session, following an exchange of views with Mr Pedro Rollán Ojeda, President of the Senate of Spain, and with Ms Isaura Leal Fernández, Second Secretary of the Bureau of the Congress of Deputies, the Venice Commission adopted the Opinion on the rule of law requirements of amnesties, with particular reference to the parliamentary bill of Spain “on the organic law on amnesty for the institutional, political and social normalisation of Catalonia”.
15/03/2024 - 16/03/2024
At its 138th Plenary Session, the Venice Commission held an exchange of views with Mr Adam Bodnar, Minister of Justice of Poland, about the restoration of the rule of law in Poland and the future cooperation with the Venice Commission. On the other hand, at the request of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Venice Commission will prepare an opinion on the draft law amending the Act on the National Council of the Judiciary.
15/03/2024 - 16/03/2024
Venice, Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista - On 15 and 16 March 2024 the Venice Commission held its plenary session in Venice.
It had on its agenda in particular six draft opinions concerning: Bosnia and Herzegovina on certain questions relating to the functioning of the Constitutional Court; Bulgaria on the Code of Ethical Conduct for Judges and on the Code of Ethical Conduct for Prosecutors and Investigators; Hungary on the Act LXXXVIII of 2023 on the Protection of National Sovereignty; Lebanon on the draft law on the administrative judiciary; Spain on the rule of law r... read more
11/03/2024
By letter of 11 March 2024, the President of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe requested that the Venice Commission examine the Emergency Ordinance regarding some measures for the organisation and conduct of the elections for members from Romania in the European Parliament in 2024 and the elections for local public administration authorities in 2024
The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption to the 140th plenary session of the Venice Commission (11-12 October 2024).
07/03/2024
By letter of 7 March 2024, the President of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe requested that the Venice Commission examine the draft amendments to the Election Code and to the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Georgia.
The draft follow-up opinion of the Venice Commission to the Joint Opinion (CDL-AD(2023)047) will be submitted for adoption to the 139th plenary session of the Venice Commission (21-22 June 2024).
07/03/2024
By letter of 7 March 2024, the President of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe requested that the Venice Commission examine the draft law amending the Law on the National Council of the Judiciary of Poland.
The draft opinion will be prepared jointly with the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law and will be submitted for adoption to the 139th plenary session of the Venice Commission (21-22 June 2024).
05/03/2024 - 06/03/2024
Rabat - The Venice Commission organised a training seminar on the evaluation of laws by the parliamentary institution in Rabat on 5-6 March 2024 in collaboration with the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
By developing the capacities of parliamentarians and civil servants of the two Houses of Parliament in law evaluation, the seminar aimed to contribute to the development of quality legislation. The event brought together members of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco, academics, national and international experts and... read more
26/02/2024 - 27/02/2024
Warsaw - On 26 and 27 February, the Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Mr Christos Giakoumopoulos and the Secretary to the Venice Commission, Ms Simona Granata-Menghini met with the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Poland, Mr Adam Bodnar, and with Ms Henryka Mościcka-Dendys, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to discuss the rule of law reforms in preparation in Poland, notably in the context of the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.
Justice Minister Bodnar will participate in the 138th Plenary Session of the ... read more
23/02/2024
Tashkent/online - On 23 February 2024 the Venice Commission participated online in the Conference organised by the Ombudsman institution of Uzbekistan on the occasion of the 29th anniversary of the foundation of the institute of the Authorised Person of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights (Ombudsman), on “Human Rights an important factor of the sustainable development of States”.
Ms Adele Matheson Mestad, substitute member of the Venice Commission in respect of Norway, intervened in Session 1 on the topic: ”Collaboration of national institutes on human ri... read more
23/02/2024
Brussels/online - On 23 February 2024, a Venice Commission representative participated in a Hearing with the Belgium Senate Institutional Affairs Committee on legislative evaluation, focusing on the Commission’s work on the evaluation of legislation and the Venice Commission’s Rule of Law Checklist.
22/02/2024
By letter dated 22 February 2024, the Minister of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr Ayaz Baetov, requested an opinion of the Venice Commission on the draft law "On amendments to the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic on normative legal acts".
The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 139th plenary session of the Commission (21-22 June 2024).
21/02/2024
On 21 February 2024, a delegation of the Venice Commission conducted on-line meetings, in preparation of its draft Opinion on certain questions relating to the functioning of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This Opinion was requested by the President of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 19 January 2024.
The delegation met on-line with the President of the Constitutional Court and representatives of the EU, the Office of the High Representative and academia.
The draft Opinion is prepared under the Expertise Co-ordination Mechanis... read more
16/02/2024
Strasbourg, France – The upgraded CODICES database of the Venice Commission is now online. This comprehensive resource for constitutional case law boasts a user-friendly design, improved search functionalities, and streamlined features for academics, legal professionals, and the public alike.
While retaining its extensive repository of over 12,000 summaries (précis) of judgments submitted by courts worldwide, the upgraded CODICES introduces several key improvements:
• Intuitive interface: users can now explore the database with ease thanks to a modern and streamlined de... read more
15/02/2024 - 16/02/2024
Budapest - A delegation of the Venice Commission carried out a visit to Hungary, in the framework of the preparation of its opinion on the Act LXXXVIII of 2023 on the Defence of National Sovereignty of Hungary. This opinion follows a request by the Chair of the Monitoring Committee of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly on 11 December 2023.
The delegation met with representatives of the governing and opposition parties, the Committee on National Security of the Hungarian Parliament, the Hungarian Government, the Sovereignty Protection Office, the National Election Offic... read more
07/02/2024 - 09/02/2024
Madrid – A delegation of the Venice Commission conducted a visit to Madrid, Spain, within the context of the preparation of its opinion “on the rule of law requirements of amnesties, with particular reference to the parliamentary bill of Spain “on amnesty for the institutional, political and social normalisation of Catalonia”. This opinion follows a request by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 8 December 2023, on the rule of law requirements which an amnesty should fulfill, as well as a second request made on 13 December 2023 by the President of the Spani... read more
02/02/2024
Following the request by the Minister of Justice of Lebanon dated 23 June 2023, the Venice Commission is preparing a draft Opinion on the draft law on the Administrative Judiciary.
On 1-2 February 2024, the rapporteurs conducted a series of online meetings with the following interlocutors:
• President of the State Council;
• Minister of Justice;
• Chair and members of the Parliamentary Sub-Commission on Administration and Justice;
• Representatives of the International community;
• NGOs representatives;
• Representatives of the Bar Associations... read more
27/01/2024
By letter dated 19 January 2024, the President of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ms Valerija Galić, requested an opinion of the Venice Commission on certain questions related to the functioning of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 138th plenary session of the Commission (15-16 March 2024).
26/01/2024
Following the request by the Ministry of Justice of Bulgaria dated 18 December 2023, the Venice Commission is preparing a draft Opinion on the Code of Ethics for Bulgarian Judges and the Code of Ethics for Bulgarian Prosecutors and Investigators.
On 26 January 2024, the rapporteurs conducted a series of meetings in Sofia, Bulgaria, with the following interlocutors:
• Members of the Supreme Judicial and Prosecutorial Councils;
• representatives of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Finance;
• Deputy Prosecutor General and members of the Ethics Committee... read more
25/01/2024
Following a request made by the Minister of Justice of Armenia, the Venice Commission and the Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity (DGII) will prepare a joint opinion on the draft law on national minorities. The joint opinion will be submitted for adoption to the 139th plenary session of the Venice Commission (21-22 June 2024).
23/01/2024
Strasbourg - Ms Veronika Bílková, Vice-President of the Venice Commission, participated on 23 January 2024, during the 1st part session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, in a meeting of the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on “Propaganda and freedom of information”.
23/01/2024
Strasbourg - Ms Veronika Bílková also participated in a joint hearing of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination and the Committee on the Honoring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) on “National minorities in Ukraine”.
On this occasion she presented the latest opinions of the Venice Commission on national minorities (communities) in Ukraine.
22/01/2024
By letter dated 18 December 2023 the Minister of Justice of Bulgaria, Mr Atanas Slavov, requested an opinion of the Venice Commission on the Code of Ethics for Bulgarian Judges and the Code of Ethics for Bulgarian Prosecutors and Investigators.
The draft opinion will be prepared jointly with the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law (DGI) of the Council of Europe and submitted for adoption during the 138th plenary session (15-16 March 2024).
22/01/2024
It is with deep regret that the Venice Commission announces the death of its former observer in respect of Israel Mr Amnon Rubinstein which occurred on 18 January 2024.
Mr Rubinstein was a lawmaker and a politician who played a key role in shaping Israel’s constitutional law.
Israel acceded to the Venice Commission in 2008. Prior to that it had an observer status.
18/01/2024
By letter of 11 December 2023, Mr Piero Fassino, Chair of the Monitoring Committee of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, requested an opinion of the Venice Commission on the Act LXXXVIII of 2023 on the Defence of National Sovereignty of Hungary. The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 138th plenary session of the Commission (15-16 March 2024).
FINLAND – Helsinki Dialogue: A democratic future for Belarus
12/01/2024 - 12/01/2024
A member of the Venice Commission took part in the “Helsinki Dialogue: A democratic future for Belarus” event organised by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in co-operation with the Finnish Parliament.
The member of the Venice Commission intervened in a session dedicated to “A representative body of the Belarusian people”.