World Conference on Constitutional Justice – Judicial dialogue between constitutional judges on a global scale (2020)

The main purpose of the World Conference is to facilitate judicial dialogue between constitutional judges on a global scale.

The World Conference on Constitutional Justice unites 118 Constitutional Courts and Councils and Supreme Courts in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia/Oceania and Europe. It promotes constitutional justice – understood as constitutional review including human rights case-law – as a key element for democracy, the protection of human rights and the rule of law. The World Conference shall organise a Congress at least once every three years. The Bureau decides on the venue and, after written consultation with the General Assembly, on the topic of the Congress. [REVISED STATUTE OF THE WORLD CONFERENCE ON CONSTITUTIONAL JUSTICE-12 September 2017]

The topic of the 3rd Congress (1 October 2014), proposed by the host Court and approved by the Bureau of the World Conference, was the “Constitutional Justice and Social Integration”. The 3rd Congress dealt with this theme in four sub-topics:

1. Challenges of social integration in a globalised world
2. International standards for social integration
3. Constitutional instruments enhancing/dealing with/for social integration
4. The role of constitutional justice in social integration.

Objectives

(1) The World Conference on Constitutional Justice (“the World Conference”) promotes constitutional justice – understood as constitutional review including human rights case-law – as a key element for democracy, the protection of human rights and the rule of law.

(2) The World Conference aims to achieve these objectives by:

– organising regular Congresses uniting all members on a global scale;
– participating in regional conferences and seminars;
– promoting the exchange of experiences and case-law within the regional and linguistic groups, between them and with individual members;
– offering good offices to its members upon their request;

Preamble

Whereas on 22-24 January 2009, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of South Africa and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe organised the 1st Congress of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice;

Whereas the 1st Congress brought together 93 Courts and Councils belonging to the following regional and linguistic groups:

•  Asian Constitutional Courts
•  Association of Constitutional Courts using the French Language (ACCPUF)
•  Commonwealth Courts
•  Conference of Constitutional Control Organs of Countries of Young Democracy
•  Conference of Constitutional Courts of Countries of Portuguese Language
•  Conference of European Constitutional Courts
•  Ibero-American Conference on Constitutional Justice
•  Southern African Chief Justices Forum
•  Union of Arab Constitutional Courts and Councils.

Whereas the participants of the 1st Congress,

– recognising the key role of the regional and linguistic groups in the promotion of                         
constitutionalism,
– entrusted a Bureau, composed of the Presidents of the regional and linguistic groups and the three Courts which hosted the preparatory meetings (Vilnius, Seoul, Algiers), with making proposals for the establishment of a World Association open to the Courts belonging to the regional or linguistic groups;

Bureau

(1) The Bureau of the Conference (“the Bureau”) is composed of representatives of the regional and linguistic groups, the Host Court of the previous and the next Congress, and of four Courts elected by the General Assembly from the continents of Africa, the Americas, Asia/Oceania and Europe, respectively. In determining whether a Court belongs to a given continent, regional group membership shall be taken into account. Only Courts from a given continent shall vote for the representative of that continent. A Court may be a candidate for one continent only.

(2) The following groups may participate in the Bureau if they so wish:

 the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions
 the Association of Constitutional Courts using the French Language (ACCPUF)
 the Commonwealth Courts
 the Conference of Constitutional Control Organs of Countries of New Democracy
 the Conference of Constitutional Courts of Countries of Portuguese Language
 the Conference of Constitutional Jurisdictions of Africa
 the Conference of European Constitutional Courts
 the Ibero-American Conference on Constitutional Justice
 the Southern African Chief Justices Forum
 the Union of Arab Constitutional Courts and Councils

The following Courts or Councils have given written notification about their accession to the Venice Commission, which acts as the Secretariat of the World Conference (status January 2020):

1. Albania, Constitutional Court
2. Algeria, Constitutional Council
3. Andorra, Constitutional Court
4. Angola, Constitutional Court
5. Armenia, Constitutional Court
6. Australia, High Court
7. Austria, Constitutional Court
8. Azerbaijan, Constitutional Court
9. Bahrain, Constitutional Court
10. Belarus, Constitutional Court
11. Belgium, Constitutional Court
12. Benin, Constitutional Court
13. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Constitutional Court
14. Brazil, Federal Supreme Court
15. Bulgaria, Constitutional Court
16. Burkina Faso, Constitutional Council
17. Burundi, Constitutional Court
18. Cambodia, Constitutional Council
19. Cameroon, Constitutional Council
20. Canada, Supreme Court
21. Cape Verde, Constitutional Court
22. Central African Republic, Constitutional Court
23. Chad, Supreme Court
24. Chile, Constitutional Court
25. Colombia, Constitutional Court
26. Comoros, Supreme Court
27. Congo (Brazzaville), Constitutional Court
28. Congo, Democratic Republic, Constitutional Court
29. Costa Rica, Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court
30. Côte d’Ivoire, Constitutional Council
31. Croatia, Constitutional Court
32. Cyprus, Supreme Court
33. Czech Republic, Constitutional Court
34. Denmark, Supreme Court
35. Djibouti, Constitutional Council
36. Dominican Republic, Constitutional Court
37. Ecuador, Constitutional Court
38. Egypt, Supreme Constitutional Court
39. Estonia, Supreme Court
40. ESwatini, Supreme Court
41. Ethiopia, Council of Constitutional Inquiry
42. Finland, Supreme Administrative Court
43. Finland, Supreme Court
44. France, Constitutional Council
45. Gabon, Constitutional Court
46. Georgia, Constitutional Court
47. Germany, Federal Constitutional Court
48. Ghana, Supreme Court
49. Guinea, Constitutional Court
50. Guinea-Bissau, Supreme Court of Justice
51. Hungary, Constitutional Court
52. Indonesia, Constitutional Court
53. India, Supreme Court
54. Ireland, Supreme Court
55. Israel, Supreme Court
56. Italy, Constitutional Court
57. Jordan, Constitutional Court
58. Kazakhstan, Constitutional Council
59. Kenya, Supreme Court
60. Korea, Republic, Constitutional Court
61. Kosovo, Constitutional Court
62. Kuwait, Constitutional Court
63. Kyrgyzstan, Constitutional Court
64. Latvia, Constitutional Court
65. Lithuania, Constitutional Court
66. Lebanon, Constitutional Council
67. Luxembourg, Constitutional Court
68. Madagascar, High Constitutional Court
69. Malaysia, Federal Court
70. Mali, Constitutional Court
71. Mauritania, Constitutional Council
72. Mauritius, Supreme Court
73. Mexico, Supreme Court
74. Mexico, Electoral Court of the Federal Judiciary
75. Moldova, Constitutional Court
76. Monaco, Supreme Court
77. Mongolia, Constitutional Court
78. Montenegro, Constitutional Court
79. Morocco, Constitutional Court
80. Mozambique, Constitutional Council
81. Namibia, Supreme Court
82. Netherlands, Council of State
83. Netherlands, Supreme Court
84. Nicaragua, Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court
85. Niger, Constitutional Court
86. North Macedonia, Constitutional Court
87. Norway, Supreme Court
88. Pakistan, Supreme Court
89. Palestine*, Supreme Constitutional Court
90. Panama, Supreme Court
91. Peru, Constitutional Court
92. Poland, Constitutional Tribunal
93. Portugal, Constitutional Court
94. Romania, Constitutional Court
95. Russia, Constitutional Court
96. Samoa, Supreme Court
97. São Tomé and Príncipe, Supreme Court / Constitutional Court
98. Senegal, Constitutional Council
99. Serbia, Constitutional Court
100. Seychelles, Supreme Court
101. Slovakia, Constitutional Court
102. Slovenia, Constitutional Court
103. Somalia, Supreme Court
104. South Africa, Constitutional Court
105. Spain, Constitutional Court
106. Sweden, Supreme Administrative Court
107. Sweden, Supreme Court
108. Switzerland, Federal Court
109. Tajikistan, Constitutional Court
110. Tanzania, Court of Appeal
111. Thailand, Constitutional Court
112. Togo, Constitutional Court
113. Turkey, Constitutional Court
114. Uganda, Supreme Court
115. Ukraine, Constitutional Court
116. Uzbekistan, Constitutional Court
117. Zambia, Supreme Court
118. Zimbabwe, Constitutional Court

SOURCE: Council of Europe