Balkan Constitutional Forum

2024 Prishtina

The second Annual Meeting of the BCCF was held on the 24th of October 2024 in Pristina, Kosovo and was attended by representatives of five of the member courts – the Constitutional Courts of the Republic of Albania, the Republic of Bulgaria, the Republic of Kosovo, the Republic of North Macedonia, and the Republic of Türkiye. Among the observers, the Constitutional Courts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and of Croatia participated in the conference.

Opening remarks were made by Gresa Caka-Nimani, President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo, President of the Republic of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, Holta Zaçaj. A key-note address was delivered by Prof. Rainer Arnold of the University of Regensburg and Director of the International Congress on European and Comparative Constitutional Law.

Dates

24 October 2024

Host

Constitutional Courts of the Republic of Kosovo

Location

Prishtina, Kosovo

meeting focus

The topic of the conference was Evolutions in Contemporary Constitutional Justice: The Example of the Balkans. Contributions were made by representatives of all present member courts and observers, as well as representatives of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Court of Human Rights, and the World Jurist Association. Discussions were moderated by Remzije Istrefi-Peci, Judge of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo, and Mr. Sokol Sadushi, President of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Albania.

Agenda

24th of October 2024

Agenda

“Vivaldi” Hall, Hotel “Emerald”

08:30 - 09:15

Registration

09:15 - 09:30

Welcome and Opening Remarks by Ms. Gresa Caka - Nimani President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo

09:30 - 09:40

Opening remarks by H.E. Dr. Vjosa Osmani - Sadriu President of the Republic of Kosovo

09:40 - 09:50

Opening Remarks by Ms. Holta Zaçaj President of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts/ President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Albania

09:50 - 10:00

Opening Remarks by Ms. Pavlina Panova President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria

10:00 - 10:20

Key-note address by Prof. Rainer Arnold, University of Regensburg Director of the International Congresses on European and Comparative Constitutional Law “The Role of Constitutional Justice in Contemporary Constitutionalism”

10:20 - 10:45

Coffee break

SESSION I

Constitutional Courts as Guardians of Democratic Values and Principles: Balancing Executive, Legislative and Judicial Powers in Modern States

Ms. Remzije Istrefi-Peci, Judge of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo

10:45 - 11:00

Mr. Kadir Özkaya, President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Türkiye “The Role of the Turkish Constitutional Court in Protecting Democratic Values under the Principle of Separation of Powers”

11:00 - 11:15

Ms. Pavlina Panova, President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria “The Protection of the Separation and the Balance of Powers in the Jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria”

11:15 - 11:30

Mr. Darko Kostadinovski, President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of North Macedonia “Constitutional Courts as Guardians of Democratic Values and Principles: Balancing Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Powers in Modern States"

11:30 - 11:45

Mr. Mato Arlović, Vice-President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia “Constitutional role of the Croatian Constitutional Court in Realizing the Constitutionality and Legality through an Ex-Ante Procedure”

11:45 - 12:00

Ms. Valerija Galić, Vice-President of Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Hercegovina “The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a Guardian of Democratic Values and Principles”

12:00 - 12:15

Mr. Martin Kuijer, Vice-President of the Venice Commission “Constitutional Courts as Guardians of Democratic Values and Principles: a Perspective from Venice”

12:15 - 12:30

Session I: Open discussion

12:30 - 14:00

Lunch at Hotel “Emerald”

SESSION II

The Impact of Supranational Courts’ Jurisprudence in Shaping Local Constitutional Contexts

Mr. Sokol Sadushi, President of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Albania

14:00 - 14:15

Mr. Nexhmi Rexhepi, Judge of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo “The Impact of ECtHR Jurisprudence in the Review of Legislation by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo”

14:15 - 14:30

Ms. Marsida Xhaferllari, Judge of Constitutional Court of the Republic of Albania “The Albanian Constitutional Court as a “Compliance Partner” of European Court of Human Rights”

14:30 - 14:45

Mr. Alexander Arabadjiev, President of Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union “The European Constitutional Order at the Case-Law of the Court of Justice of the EU: Interrelation, Cooperation and Dialogue as Distinctive Traits”

14:45 - 15:00

Ms. Anna Austin, Jurisconsult of the European Court on Human Rights “Impact of the ECtHR on National Constitutional Contexts”

15:00 - 15:15

Ms. Teodora Toma, Executive Director at World Jurist Association “The Role of NGOs in the Dissemination of the Decisions of the Supranational Courts. World Jurist Association and the World Law Congress”

15:15 - 15:30

Session II: Open discussion

15:30 - 15:45

Conference concluding remarks by Ms. Gresa Caka - Nimani President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo

15:45 - 16:00

Family photo