Welcome

The XIVth Congress of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts will be held on 2-7 June, 2008, in Vilnius. This decision was made during the preparatory meeting of the Presidents of courts, which are the members of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts on 7-8 September 2006, in Vilnius.

The Preparatory meeting accepted applications from the new members to join the Conference. The Supreme Court of Denmark, the Constitutional Court of Montenegro and the Constitutional Court of Serbia became full members of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts.

Members of the preparatory meeting in Vilnius also discussed and approved the subject of the XIVth Congress and the emblem of the Conference. The topic of the XIVth Congress is "Legislative Omission of the Constitutional Jurisprudence".

The Lithuanian Constitutional Court has held chairmanship of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts since May 2005. Such decision was adopted at the XIIIth Congress of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts which was held in Nicosia (Cyprus) on 16-18 May 2005. In rotation of three years, chairmanship of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts is held by one of the courts which is a full member of the Conference.

The Conference of European Constitutional Courts, which was established in Dubrovnik in 1972, unites representatives from 39 European constitutional or equivalent courts. The Conference is an organisation which arranges congresses at regular intervals. It promotes exchange of information among its members as regards issues of methods and practice of constitutional review and sharing opinions about institutional, structural and work problems in the areas of public law and constitutional jurisdiction. Besides, it takes measures, which strengthen the independence of constitutional courts as an essential element of the guarantee and implementation of democracy and a state under the rule of law and pays attention to protection of human rights in particular. It gives much support to improve constant relations between European constitutional courts and similar institutions.

While holding chairmanship of the Conference, the Lithuanian Constitutional Court represents it in various international forums.

The Lithuanian Constitutional Court became a full member of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts in 1997.