Role of the Court
The Constitutional Court is the central institution of constitutional review. Its purpose is to ensure that laws and other legal acts comply with the Constitution.
It protects:
- the supremacy of the Constitution
- the constitutional order
- the rights of citizens in constitutional matters
Composition and appointment
Under the constitutional model:
- the Chair of the Constitutional Court is appointed by the President
- judges are appointed through the constitutional procedure defined by the new system
- the institution is designed to operate independently from day-to-day political influence
Guarantees of independence
Judicial independence is supported by several constitutional safeguards:
- irremovability except in constitutionally defined cases
- immunity from arbitrary prosecution
- financial independence
- constitutional status separate from ordinary political organs
Powers
The Constitutional Court may:
- review the constitutionality of legal acts
- interpret constitutional provisions where required
- protect citizens through constitutional review procedures
- remove unconstitutional acts from legal application
Legal force of decisions
Decisions of the Constitutional Court are:
- final
- not subject to appeal
- binding on all state bodies, organizations, and citizens
- effective immediately from the moment of pronouncement
If the Court declares an act unconstitutional, that act loses legal force and cannot be applied.
Why this matters
Without a strong Constitutional Court, constitutional guarantees would remain abstract. The Court turns the Constitution into an enforceable legal standard.