Kostadinovski: The Constitutional Court needs a law on upgrading
The Constitutional Court needs a law on upgrading and status quo will bring nothing good, Constitutional Court President Darko Kostadinovski said after the opening of the roundtable « Do we need a law for the Constitutional Court? », Expressing hope that public debate will result in proper addressing of all issues.
Kostadinovski pointed out that there are divided opinions in both the profession and in the science on the subject, but emphasized that his position is clear – that he stands for the Law on Constitutional Court, not any, but or to give a constitutional basis for 2/3 law or constitutional law on concerting the constitutional provisions.
– Although I am the youngest for years, I am the oldest of the judge here and I see the need. We need a law on upgrading. 34 years is a too long period, as this court was right, not only the president of the state, every citizen can ask what the role of the Constitutional Court is over the past 34 years, as it is possible today to have the historic most mistrust of the complete apparatus. So, nothing has done and we need to be self -critical. That is why this is a very important topic for me and one of the priorities as president of the court-said Kostadinovski, at a press conference after the opening of the round table, organized by the Constitutional Court with the support of the EU Delegation in Skopje, through the IPA 3 mechanism.
The actuality of the topic, Kostadinovski emphasized, has not disappeared over a period of 34 years, ie since the adoption of our 1991 Constitution and the purpose of today’s roundtable is to open a public debate on the necessity of reforming the most unexplored institution in our country.
« The status quo will not bring anything good … We need to be aware of what reality we live today and whether this status quo of the Constitutional Court in terms of its normative framework and responsibilities bring us something good, » Kostadinovski said.
According to Kostadinovski, criticism is right and the Constitutional Court has been inert for too long and the Constitutional Court itself should initiate reforms, because, as he says, we « know best we are facing in our work ».
– What the new law could pass. One of the most common criticisms is the generic term « prominent lawyer ». It is not impossible to objective and specify who can be a judge. Citizens have the right to know who the constitutional judges are. The way judges are elected is modestly transparent. Citizens are deprived of who are candidates who are elected, and even how they work. The way the constitutional judges are elected, as with the SCPC, by presenting to the MPs, to see the citizens. Then, the legal action of our decisions and the monitoring, execution and consequences of the failure of our decisions – explained Kostadinovski.
The Constitutional Court holds a roundtable on « Do we need a law for the Constitutional Court? » which aims to open a debate on the need to adopt a special law that would regulate the work of the Constitutional Court, through dialogue between representatives of institutions, the legal profession and the civil sector. President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, as well as Michalis Rokas, European Union Ambassador Petra Drexler, German Ambassador and Angela P. Ageller, US Ambassador.
