141st Plenary Session of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe
06/12/2024 - 07/12/2024
Venice, Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista
82nd meeting of the Council for Democratic Elections
05/12/2024
Venice, Palazzo della Regione
30/10/2024 - 03/11/2024
Victoria Falls - 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".
140th Plenary Session of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe
11/10/2024 - 12/10/2024
Venice, Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista
81st meeting of the Council for Democratic Elections
10/10/2024
Venice, Palazzo della Regione
07/2024
Maputo - 6th General Assembly of the Conference of Constitutional Courts of Portuguese-Speaking Countries.
2024
Quito - XVth Congress of the Ibero-American Conference on Constitutional Justice
139th Plenary Session of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe
21/06/2024 - 22/06/2024
Venice, Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista
80th meeting of the Council for Democratic Elections
20/06/2024
Venice, Palazzo della Regione
13/06/2024 - 15/06/2024
Paris – The Association of the French-speaking Constitutional Courts (ACCF) will hold its Conference of the Heads of Institutions on the following topic: « Constitutional protection of the freedom of expression ».
The Venice Commission is invited to participate.
21/05/2024 - 24/05/2024
Chisinau - XIXth Congress of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts.
24/04/2024
Skopje - 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 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 will participate in joint briefings with other international organisations, before and after the elections, and observe 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 of the Kyrgyz Republic on Offences ".
The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 139th plenary session of the Commission (21-22 June 2024).
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
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.
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
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.
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
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” organised by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in co-operation with the Finnish Parliament. He intervened in a session dedicated to “A representative body of the Belarusian people”.