Upon the expiry of the term for which a Constitutional Court judge has been elected, he continues to perform his office until the election of a new judge.

(Early Termination of Office of a Constitutional Court Judge)

Constitutional Court judges may not be re-elected.

Constitutional Court judges are elected for a term of nine years.

The President of the Constitutional Court is elected by the judges from among their own number for a term of three years.

Constitutional Court judges enjoy the same immunity as National Assembly deputies.

A Constitutional Court judge may be subject to early termination of office in a manner provided by law only:

The Constitutional Court decides by a majority vote of all its judges unless otherwise provided for individual cases by the Constitution or law.

The office of Constitutional Court judge is not compatible with office in state authorities, in local self-government authorities, and in bodies of political parties, and with other offices and activities that are not compatible by law with the office of Constitutional Court judge.

The Constitutional Court is composed of nine judges, elected on the proposal of the President of the Republic by the National Assembly in a manner provided by law.

This Agreement does not prevent a State from applying its constitutional rules relating to due process, freedom of association, freedom of the press, freedom of expression in other media and freedom fighters,

(b) with regard to the provisions of this Convention, the implementation of which comes under the jurisdiction of individual constituent States, counties, provinces or cantons which are not obliged by the constitutional system of the federation to take legislative measures, the federal government shall inform the competent authorities of such States, counties, provinces or cantons of the said provisions, with its recommendation for their adoption.

The ex-constitutional judge Matevž Krivic, who was also an active partner in debates about media law, holds that an ombudsman is not the best solution.

MATEVŽ KRIVIC, lawyer, a former judge of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia (1990-1998)

The office of Constitutional Court judge is not compatible with office in state bodies, in local self-government bodies and in bodies of political parties, and with other offices and activities that are not compatible by law with the office of Constitutional Court judge.

The public prosecutor declared the Presidium with only four members from coalition parties unlawful , but the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court (5:6) ruled that it was lawful. In the opinion of the latter, it is better to have half a Presidium than no Presidium at all.

However, the standpoint taken by the Supreme Court at several proceedings involving this issue significantly differs from the standpoints upon which the 1997 resolution of the Constitutional Court was based.

The Council, by an Act dated 26 May 1997 (4), drew up a Convention on the service in the Member States of the European Union of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil or commercial matters and recommended it for adoption by the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional rules.

In order to help ensure and check that personal data are processed properly by Eurojust, a joint supervisory body should be set up which, given the composition of Euro-just, should consist of a panel of judges or, if the constitutional or national system of a Member State so requires, of persons exercising an equivalent function which gives them sufficient independence.

In order to set up the Joint Supervisory Body, each Member State, acting in accordance with its legal system, shall appoint a judge who is not a member of Eurojust, or, if its constitutional or national system so requires a person holding an office giving him sufficient independence, for inclusion on the list of judges who may sit on the Joint Supervisory Body as members or ad hoc judges.

Those fundamental rights are to be interpreted, under the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Communities, in the light of Article 8 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the constitutional traditions common to the Member States.

The Council, by an Act(4) dated 28 May 1998, drew up a Convention on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and recommended it for adoption by the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional rules.

In order to help ensure and check that personal data are processed properly by Eurojust, a joint supervisory body should be set up which, given the composition of Eurojust, should consist of a panel of judges or, if the constitutional or national system of a Member State so requires, of persons exercising an equivalent function which gives them sufficient independence.