Constitutional Court of Slovenia

The Constitutional Court of Slovenia (in Slovene: Ustavno sodišče Republike Slovenije, US RS) is a special court established by the Slovenian Constitution. Since its inception, the Court has been located in the city of Ljubljana. It is the highest court in the country for reviewing the constitutionality and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, otherwise the highest court in the country is the Supreme Court of the Republic of Slovenia. The constitutional court is not part of any branch of government (not even the judiciary) and is an independent state body.

The main responsibilities of the Constitutional Court include:

The seat of the Court is in Ljubljana in a Plečnik's Palace, designed by a famous Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik.
 * reviewing the constitutionality and legality of laws and other regulations,
 * deciding on constitutional complaints (violations of human rights) against the decisions of other state bodies,
 * and certain other responsibilities related to elections and jurisdiction.

Jurisdiction
Most powers of the Constitutional Court are explicitly determined by the Constitution. In accordance with the Constitution (§160), the Constitutional Court decides on:


 * the conformity of laws with the Constitution and of laws and other regulations with ratified treaties and with the general principles of international law;
 * the conformity of regulations with the Constitution and with laws;
 * the conformity of local community regulations with the Constitution and with laws;
 * the conformity of general acts issued for the exercise of public authority with the Constitution, laws, and regulations;
 * constitutional complaints stemming from the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms by individual acts;
 * on jurisdictional disputes between the state and local communities and among local communities themselves; between courts and other state authorities; and between the National Assembly, the President of the Republic, and the Government;
 * the unconstitutionality of the acts and activities of political parties;
 * other matters vested by the Constitution (e.g. deciding on an impeachment charges against the prime minister or president; conformity of international treaties with the Constitution before its ratification; appeals against a National Assembly decision on the election of Slovenian members to the European Parliament; admissibility of a National Assembly decision not to call a referendum on the confirmation of constitutional amendments; ).

Procedures
The Constitutional Court has several strictly defined procedures in which cases may be brought before it. Procedures are regulated by the Constitutional Court Act.

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

Procedure for the review of the constitutionality and legality
The procedure for the review of the constitutionality and legality of regulations and general acts issued for the exercise of public authority is initiated by:


 * 1) submission of a written request by an applicant (specific state bodies); or
 * 2) by a Constitutional Court order on the acceptance of a petition by a private citizen, whose legal interests were affected, to initiate a review procedure.

Written request can be submitted by any court, the National Assembly, one third of MPs, the National Council, the Government, the Ombudsman, the Information Commissioner, the Bank of Slovenia, the State Prosecutor General, representative bodies of local communities, a representative association of local communities, and national representative trade unions.

In this procedure the Court may:


 * find that the law or other regulation is in conformity with the Constitution or law;
 * in whole or in part abrogate an Act which is not in conformity with the Constitution;
 * annul or abrogate other regulations (Act cannot be annulled or abrogated).

Constitutional complaint
Constitutional complaint is possible in case of to a violation of human rights or fundamental freedoms against individual acts of state or local authorities.

A complaint may be lodged by:


 * an individual whose were violated,; or
 * the Ombudsman in connection with an individual case that he is dealing with.

Complaint is not allowed until after all legal remedies have been exhausted.

In this procedure the Court may:


 * dismiss a constitutional complaint as unfounded;
 * in whole or in part annuls or abrogates the individual act, and remands the case to the authority competent to decide thereon.

Landmark decisions

 * Tito street decision, U-I-109/10 of 3 October 2011.

Composition
The court consists of 9 judges, who are elected by the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia for a non-renewable 9-year term on the proposal of the President of the Republic. Before replacing a judge after the end of their term, a new judge must first be elected. If this does not happen by the end of the judge's term, that judge's term will be extended until a new judge is elected (e.g. judge Dunja Jadek Pensa served for more than 10 years before political consensus was reached to elect judge Rok Svetlič in 2021).

Judges are elected from among legal experts, who are Slovenian citizens and at least 40 years of age, but they do not have to meet the conditions that apply to the election of judges of regular courts. Among other things, the judges of the Constitutional Court do not need a state legal exam, which allows, for example, university professors to be elected as judges of the court.

After election, a new judge must take the following oath before the National Assembly: "I swear that I shall judge according to the Constitution, the law, and my conscience and that I shall strive with all my power for constitutionality, legality, and the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms."

Judges elect a president and vice-president of the Court among themselves for a term of three years by a secret ballot.