Membership To International Organizations
Membership To International Organizations
Conference of European Constitutional Courts (CECC)
About
The Conference of European Constitutional Courts (“CECC” or “the Conference”) was established in 1972 in Dubrovnik, Croatia, to bring together European constitutional or equivalent courts that carry out constitutional review. The Turkish Constitutional Court (TCC) is one of the first members of the Conference. The membership of the TCC dates back to 1987. The VIIIth Congress of the Conference was hosted by the TCC in Ankara, Türkiye, in 1990.
The aims of the Conference are set out in Article 3 of the Statute as follows: “The Conference shall hold a Congress at regular intervals. It shall promote the exchange of information on the working methods and constitutional case-law of member courts together with the exchange of opinions on institutional, structural and operational issues as regards public-law and constitutional jurisdiction. In addition, it shall take steps to enhance the independence of constitutional courts as an essential factor in guaranteeing and implementing democracy and the rule of law, in particular with a view to securing the protection of human rights. It shall support efforts to maintain regular contacts between the European Constitutional Courts and similar institutions”.
The Bodies of the Conference
The “Circle of Presidents”, the central decision-making body composed of the Presidents of the Courts and the institutions with full member status;
The Congress, which is held every three years, attended by full members, associate members, but also observers, such as supranational European courts, commissions and institutions of the Council of Europe and the European Union dealing with issues of constitutional jurisdiction, (non-) European constitutional courts, and guests.
The Presidency of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts, which rotates every three years, can only be held by a Court which is a full member of the Conference. The Presidency of the Conference (and of the "Circle of Presidents") is held by the President of the Court hosting the next Congress; the same Court also provides the Secretariat of the Conference.
XIXth Congress of the CECC
President of the Turkish Constitutional Court Mr. Kadir Özkaya participated in the XIXth Congress of the CECC, held in Chișinău, the capital of Moldova, on 21-24 May 2023. President Özkaya, was accompanied by Mr. Mücahit Aydın, Deputy Secretary General of the Turkish Constitutional Court.
The Congress began with the meeting of the Circle of Presidents with the participation of the Presidents of the member courts of the CECC. During the meeting, the Presidency of the Conference was handed over to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Albania.
It was also decided to authorise the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic to set up a permanent office to provide the information processing and archiving services of the Conference. After the solemn opening, the Congress continued with the academic sessions. Three sessions were held on “Interaction Between Constitutional Courts and Supranational Courts”, “Political and Legal Within the Jurisdiction of the Constitutional Courts” and “Safeguarding Constitutional Principles During the State of Emergency”. The sessions were followed by the presentation of the General Report on the evaluations made under the theme “The Forms and Limits of Judicial Deference: The Experience of the Constitutional Courts”.
At the XIXth Congress, it was decided that the IT Secretariat of the Conference would be provided by the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic.
The 1st Committee Meeting organised by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Albania, which holds the term-presidency of the CECC, was held online on 4 September 2024. Vice-President of the Turkish Constitutional Court Mr. Basri Bağcı and Deputy Secretary General Mr. Mücahit Aydın attended the meeting on behalf of the Turkish Constitutional Court.
During the meeting, it was decided that a seven-member Committee, consisting of the Constitutional Courts of the Republic of Italy, the Republic of Latvia, Belgium, Türkiye, Albania, as well as the Constitutional Council of France, and the Supreme Court of Principality of Monaco, which was chaired by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Albania, would prepare an assessment report on the membership application of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo.
The 2nd Committee Meeting, organised online by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Albania, which holds the term-presidency, was held on 28 October 2024. Vice-President of the Turkish Constitutional Court Mr. Basri Bağcı and Deputy Secretary General Mr. Mücahit Aydın attended the meeting on behalf of the Turkish Constitutional Court. During the meeting, the Committee approved the report prepared for submission to the Meeting of the Circle of Presidents.
On 28 February 2025, Kadir Özkaya, the President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Türkiye, attended the Preparatory Meeting of the Circle of Presidents for the XXth Congress of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts, which took place in Tirana, Albania. During the preparatory meeting, chaired by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Albania, it was agreed that the next Congress, planned for 2027, would focus on the theme of "Freedom of Expression – Fake News as a Threat to Democracy". The meeting then continued with negotiations involving the 32 constitutional and high courts that are members of the Conference. At the end of the meeting, the Constitutional Court of Kosovo was admitted to full membership in the Conference, a decision supported by the Turkish Constitutional Court.
Click to access the official website of the CECC.
Congresses
2021 – The Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic assumed the Presidency of the Conference for the term of 2017-2020. The XVIIIth Congress was held by videoconference on 24 and 25 February 2021, due to the precautions taken in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic, with the participation of representatives of the 35 constitutional/supreme courts that are members of the Conference. The Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic holding the term presidency has undertaken the coordination of the Congress. Previously, during the XVIIth Congress in Batum, Georgia, it was decided that the XIXth Congress would be held in Chisinau, Moldova, and, in accordance with the decision of the Circle of Presidents taken by circular resolution, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova will preside over the Conference from 2021 to 2024.
2017 – The XVIIth Congress of the Conference and “Circle of Presidents” was held on 28 June - 1 July 2017 in Batumi, Georgia. The then President of the Constitutional Court of Türkiye and the accompanying delegation participated in the Congress and the meeting of the Circle of Presidents.
President of the Turkish Constitutional Court delivered a speech during the Congress on the role of constitutional courts in times of emergency. He also deliberated on the decision of the Turkish Constitutional Court issued by the Plenary on 20 June 2017 regarding the constitutional principles to be observed in individual applications lodged due to detentions on remand under the state of emergency in Türkiye.
1990 – The VIIIth Congress was held in Ankara, Türkiye by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Türkiye that was admitted to membership at the VIIth meeting of the CECC in 1987.
1988 – The preparatory meeting for the VIIIth Congress was held in İstanbul between 14-17 November 1988. The theme of the Congress was determined as “Hierarchy of Constitutional Norms and its Function in the Protection of Fundamental Rights.” The Congress was held between 7-10 May 1990 in Ankara with the participation of 102 representatives/delegates from the following countries and institutions:
Attendants: Federal Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Former Yugoslavia, Vatican City State.
Observers: Belgium, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, the Republic of Korea, the European Court of Human Rights, the former Court of Justice of the European Communities.
1987 – During the VIIth meeting of the CECC held in Lisbon between 26-30 April 1987, the Turkish Constitutional Court was admitted to membership and a resolution was made to hold the next Congress in Türkiye in 1990.
À propos
La Conférence des Cours constitutionnelles européennes (« la Conférence ») a été établie en 1972 à Dubrovnik, en Croatie, afin de réunir les Cours constitutionnelles européennes ou institutions analogues chargées du contrôle constitutionnel des normes. La Cour constitutionnelle de Turquie (« la CCT ») fait partie des premiers membres de la Conférence, en effet elle y a adhéré en 1987.
Selon l’article 3 de son Statut, le but de la Conférence est défini comme suit : « À intervalles réguliers, la Conférence organise des Congrès. Elle encourage l’information réciproque des Cours membres, notamment en ce qui concerne leurs méthodes de travail et la pratique du contrôle des normes, ainsi que les échanges d’idées sur des questions institutionnelles, structurelles ou autres dans les domaines du droit public et de la justice constitutionnelle. La Conférence prend en outre des mesures visant à renforcer l’indépendance des Cours constitutionnelles comme élément indispensable à la garantie et à la mise en œuvre de la démocratie et de l’État de droit, en mettant notamment l’accent sur la protection des droits de l‘homme. Elle soutient vivement le développement de relations permanentes entre les Cours constitutionnelles européennes et institutions analogues. »
Le XVIIe Congrès de la Conférence et le « Cercle des présidents » ont eu lieu entre le 28 juin et le 1er juillet 2017 à Batoumi, en Géorgie. Le Président de la Cour constitutionnelle de Turquie, M. Zühtü Arslan et la délégation l’accompagnant ont participé à ce Congrès ainsi qu’au Cercle des présidents.
Le Président Arslan a délivré un discours au Congrès sur le rôle des Cours constitutionnelles en temps d’urgence. Il a également présenté ses réflexions sur les principes jurisprudentiels de la Cour constitutionnelle de Turquie dans le cadre de la détention provisoire, adoptés sous l’état d’urgence en Turquie.
Actuellement, la Cour constitutionnelle de la République Tchèque assure la présidence la Conférence entre 2017-2020 et par conséquent, le XVIIIe Congrès est prévu d’être réalisé en République Tchèque en février 2021.
Les organes de la Conférence
Le « Cercle des présidents », l’organe central décisionnel, est composé des présidents des Cours et Institutions ayant un statut de membre à part entière.
Le Congrès qui se tient tous les trois ans, se réunit avec la totalité de ses membres, membres associés, mais aussi des observateurs tels que les Cours européennes supranationales, les commissions et les institutions du Conseil de l’Europe et de l’Union européenne traitant des questions de juridiction constitutionnelle, les cours constitutionnelles non-européennes et les invités.
La présidence de la Conférence des Cours constitutionnelles européennes est assurée par rotation pour une période de trois ans et seulement par l’une des Cours membres à part entière. Le président de la Cour en question représente la présidence de la Conférence (et du Cercle des présidents). La Cour tenant la présidence de la Conférence a pour tâche d’organiser le prochain Congrès et d’en assurer le secrétariat.
VIIIe Congrès, 1990 (Ankara)
Durant la VIIe réunion de la Conférence des Cours constitutionnelles européennes ayant eu lieu à Lisbonne, au Portugal, entre les 26-30 avril 1987, la Cour constitutionnelle de Turquie fut admise à la Conférence et le prochain Congrès fut décidé d’être tenu en Turquie en 1990.
Dans ce contexte, la réunion préparatoire du VIIIe fut réalisée à Istanbul les 14-17 novembre 1988. Le thème du Congrès fut déterminé comme étant « La Hiérarchie des Normes Constitutionnelles et son Rôle dans la Protection des Droits Fondamentaux ». Le Congrès eut, effectivement, lieu entre les 7 et 10 mai 1990 dans la province d’Ankara, en Turquie avec la participation de 102 représentants/délégués provenant de la République fédérale d’Allemagne, de l’Autriche, de la France, de l’Italie, de l’Espagne, de la Suisse, du Portugal, de l’ex-Yougoslavie, et de l’État de la Cité du Vatican. Les observateurs, quant à eux, provenaient des pays comme la Belgique, le Guatemala, la Hongrie, l’Irlande, les Pays-Bas, la Norvège, la Pologne, la République de Corée, ainsi que des institutions comme la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme et l’ancienne Cour de justice des Communautés européennes.
Pour plus d’informations, veuillez visiter le site officiel de la CCCE.