Conseil constitutionnel (France)

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Entrance to the Constitutional Court

The Conseil constitutionnel ( French: Constitutional Council) is the French constitutional court .

Competencies

The Conseil constitutionnel (CC) decides on the constitutionality of laws , presidential and parliamentary elections and referendums . In contrast to the German Federal Constitutional Court , it knows neither constitutional complaints nor specific legal checks . Before the constitutional reform of 2008 came into force, a law, unlike Germany, could only be checked before it was issued ( abstract a priori control of norms , also abstract preventive control).

For example, in 1981 the CC examined the nationalization law of the then new President François Mitterrand (and approved it on February 11, 1982). The review before the law is published is compulsory for laws that substantiate the constitution (organic laws) and for the rules of procedure of the parliamentary chambers . All other legal norms (simple laws, international treaties, ordinances) are only checked upon request. The President, the Prime Minister, the President of the National Assembly, the President of the Senate and, since 1974, 60 deputies or 60 senators are eligible to apply. The 2008 reform enables the two highest courts of justice to submit a preliminary question (question préjudicielle) to the Council in the context of a cassation in order to examine the constitutionality (as with the European Court of Justice in the context of preliminary ruling procedures ).

composition

The Conseil constitutionnel consists of nine judges. Every three years, one third of them are appointed by the President of the Republic , the President of the National Assembly and the President of the Senate . The members do not have to have exceeded a certain age limit, nor is a professional qualification required to hold this office. A reappointment is not permitted.

The former presidents are members for life. If they exercise an office that is incompatible with the position, membership is suspended. With a view to the former presidents, such is in particular every electoral office. B. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing was excluded from the Conseil from 1984 to 2004, as he was MP and President of the Regional Council during this time. It is also common for former presidents to be able to declare their membership suspended for other reasons. However, you cannot withdraw from membership.

The President of the Republic appoints the President of the Constitutional Council. He can choose both an appointed member and a former president.

If a member leaves prematurely, a new member is appointed. His term of office corresponds to the remaining term of office of the resigned member. The substitute member is appointed by the current holder of the office who had the right to propose the resigned member. If the remaining term of office was shorter than three years, these members may be reappointed, then for a regular term of nine years.

Members of the Constitutional Council may not exercise any public function or any other professional activity; the activity as a lawyer is again expressly excluded. You are not allowed to belong to the government or to the advisory council for economic, social and environmental matters, and any electoral mandate or the function of Défenseur des droits is not permitted. If appointed members of the Constitutional Council take on such a function, they automatically leave the Constitutional Council; membership is then suspended for born members.

Current members

Surname Life Term of office Nominated by Surname particularities
Laurent Fabius 1946– 2016-2025 President François Hollande President since 2016
Valery Giscard d'Estaing 1926– 1981– Former President of the Republic
has been attending the meetings since 2004
Nicolas Sarkozy 1955– 2012– Former President of the Republic
has not attended the meetings since 2013
François Hollande 1954– 2017– Former President
does not attend the meetings
Michel Charasse 1941– 2010-2019 President Nicolas Sarkozy
Claire Bazy-Malaurie 1949– 2010-2022 President of the National Assembly Bernard Accoyer
Nicole Maestracci 1951– 2013-2022 President François Hollande
Lionel Jospin 1937– 2014-2019 President of the National Assembly Claude Bartolone
Jean-Jacques Hyest 1943– 2015-2019 Senate President Gérard Larcher
Corinne Luqiens 1943– 2016-2025 President of the National Assembly Claude Bartolone
Michel Pinault 1947– 2016-2025 Senate President Gérard Larcher
Dominique Lottin 1958– 2017-2022 Senate President Gérard Larcher

former members

Surname Life Term of office Nominated by Surname particularities
Vincent Auriol 1884-1966 1958-1966 former president
René Coty 1882-1962 1958–1962 former president
Maurice godmother 1895-1962 1959-1962 President Charles de Gaulle
Maurice Delépine 1883-1960 1959-1960 Senate President Gaston Monnerville
Victor Chatenay 1886-1985 1959-1962 President of the National Assembly Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Léon Noël 1888-1987 1959-1965 President Charles de Gaulle President 1959–1965
Charles Le Coq de Kerland 1887-1988 1959-1965 Senate President Gaston Monnerville
Louis Pasteur Vallery-Radot 1886-1970 1959-1965 President of the National Assembly Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Georges Pompidou 1911-1974 1959-1962 President Charles de Gaulle
Jean Gilbert-Jules 1903-1984 1959-1968 Senate President Gaston Monnerville
Jean Michard-Pellissier 1909-1976 1959-1968 President of the National Assembly Jacques Chaban-Delmas
René Cassin 1887-1976 1960-1971 Senate President Gaston Monnerville
Marcel Waline 1900-1982 1962-1971 President Charles de Gaulle
Edmond Michelet 1899-1970 1962-1967 President of the National Assembly Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Bernard Chenot 1909-1995 1962-1964 President Charles de Gaulle
André Deschamps 1895-1968 1964-1968 President Charles de Gaulle
Gaston Palewski 1901-1984 1965-1974 President Charles de Gaulle President 1965–1974
François Luchaire 1919-2009 1965-1974 Senate President Gaston Monnerville
Henri Monnet 1896-1983 1965-1974 President of the National Assembly Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Jules Antonini 1903-1987 1967-1971 President of the National Assembly Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Jean Sainteny 1907-1978 1968-1977 President Charles de Gaulle
Georges-Léon Dubois 1909-2003 1968-1977 Senate President Gaston Monnerville
Pierre Chatenet 1917-1997 1968-1977 President of the National Assembly Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Charles de Gaulle 1890-1970 1969-1970 former president
François Goguel 1909-1999 1971-1980 President Georges Pompidou
Paul Coste-Floret 1911-1979 1971-1979 Senate President Alain Poher
Henri Rey 1903-1977 1971-1977 President of the National Assembly Achille Peretti
Roger Frey 1913-1997 1974-1983 President Georges Pompidou President 1974–1983
Gaston Monnerville 1897-1991 1974-1983 Senate President Alain Poher
René Brouillet 1909-1992 1974-1983 President of the National Assembly Edgar Faure
André Ségalat 1910-1986 1977-1986 President Valery Giscard d'Estaing
Louis Gros 1902-1984 1977-1984 Senate President Alain Poher
Achille Peretti 1911-1983 1977-1983 President of the National Assembly Edgar Faure
Louis Joxe 1901-1991 1977-1989 President of the National Assembly Edgar Faure
Robert Lecourt 1908-2004 1979-1989 Senate President Alain Poher
Georges Vedel 1910-2002 1980-1989 President Valery Giscard d'Estaing
Daniel Mayer 1909-1996 1983-1992 President François Mitterrand President 1983–1986
Léon Jozeau-Marigné 1909-2003 1983-1992 Senate President Alain Poher
Pierre Marcilhacy 1910-1987 1983-1987 President of the National Assembly Louis Mermaz
Paul Legatte 1916-2002 1983-1986 President of the National Assembly Louis Mermaz
Maurice-René Simonnet 1919-1988 1984-1988 Senate President Alain Poher
Robert Badinter 1928– 1986-1995 President François Mitterrand President 1986–1995
Robert Fabre 1915-2006 1986-1995 President of the National Assembly Louis Mermaz
Francis Mollet-Viéville 1918-2008 1987-1992 President of the National Assembly Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Jacques Latscha 1927-2005 1988-1995 Senate President Alain Poher
Maurice Faure 1922-2014 1989-1998 President François Mitterrand
Jean Cabannes 1925– 1989-1998 Senate President Alain Poher
Jacques Robert 1928– 1989-1998 President of the National Assembly Laurent Fabius
Georges Abadie 1924– 1992-2001 President François Mitterrand
Marcel Rudloff 1923-1996 1992-1996 Senate President Alain Poher
Noëlle Lenoir 1948– 1992-2001 President of the National Assembly Henri Emmanuelli
Roland Dumas 1922– 1995-2000 President François Mitterrand President 1995–2000
Étienne Dailly 1918-1996 1995-1996 Senate President René Monory
Michel Ameller 1926– 1995-2004 President of the National Assembly Philippe Séguin
François Mitterrand 1916-1996 1995-1996 former president
Alain Lancelot 1937– 1996-2001 Senate President René Monory
Yves Guéna 1922-2016 1997-2004 Senate President René Monory President 2000-2004
Pierre Mazeaud 1929– 1998-2007 President Jacques Chirac President 2004–2007
Simone Veil 1927-2017 1998-2007 Senate President René Monory
Jean-Claude Colliard 1946-2014 1998-2007 President of the National Assembly Laurent Fabius
Monique Pelletier 1926– 2000-2004 President Jacques Chirac
Olivier Dutheillet de Lamothe 1949– 2001-2010 President Jacques Chirac
Dominique Schnapper 1934– 2001-2010 Senate President Christian Poncelet
Pierre Joxe 1934– 2001-2010 President of the National Assembly Raymond Forni
Pierre Steinmetz 1943– 2004-2013 President Jacques Chirac
Jacqueline de Guillenchmidt 1943– 2004-2013 Senate President Christian Poncelet
Jean-Louis Pezant 1938-2010 2004-2010 President of the National Assembly Jean-Louis Debre
Jean-Louis Debre 1944– 2007-2016 President Jacques Chirac President 2007-2016
Jacques Chirac 1932-2019 2007-2019 Former President of the Republic
has not attended the meetings since 2011
Renaud Denoix de Saint Marc 1938– 2007-2016 Senate President Christian Poncelet
Guy Canivet 1943– 2007-2016 President of the National Assembly Jean-Louis Debre
Jacques Barrot 1937-2014 2010-2014 President of the National Assembly Bernard Accoyer
Hubert Haenel 1942-2015 2010-2015 Senate President Gérard Larcher
Nicole Belloubet 1955– 2013-2017 Senate President Jean-Pierre Bel

See also

Web links

literature

  • Michel Fromont: The French Constitutional Council . In: Christian Starck , Albrecht Weber (ed.): Constitutional jurisdiction in Western Europe . Volume I. 2nd edition. Nomos, Baden-Baden 2007, ISBN 978-3-8329-2640-3 ( Studies and materials on constitutional jurisdiction. Volume 30 / I), pp. 227-258.
  • Frédéric Monera: L'idée de République et la jurisprudence du Conseil constitutionnel . LGDJ, Paris 2004, ISBN 978-2-275-02524-7 .

Individual evidence

  1. Patrick Roger: De retour en politique, Sarkozy ne peut pas démissionner du Conseil constitutionnel. In: Le Monde (online). September 22, 2014, accessed August 11, 2017 (French).
  2. Article 1, Ordonnance n ° 58-1067 du 7 November 1958 portant loi organique sur le Conseil constitutionnel. Version consolidée au 11 août 2017. Légifrance, Secrétariat général du Gouvernement, accessed on 11 August 2017 (French).
  3. Article 12, Ordonnance n ° 58-1067 du 7 November 1958 portant loi organique sur le Conseil constitutionnel. Version consolidée au 11 août 2017. Légifrance, Secrétariat général du Gouvernement, accessed on 11 August 2017 (French).
  4. Article 4, Ordonnance n ° 58-1067 du 7 November 1958 portant loi organique sur le Conseil constitutionnel. Version consolidée au 11 août 2017. Légifrance, Secrétariat général du Gouvernement, accessed on 11 August 2017 (French).