DéFi wants to depoliticise the Belgian Constitutional Court

The Belgian party DéFi has submitted a bill "to depoliticise the composition of the Constitutional Court and ensure gender equality", the party announced on Wednesday. Currently, half of the Belgian Constitutional Court's judges have a political background and have been members of a parliamentary assembly for at least five years.

The proposal will be presented in the Belgian House Committee on the Constitution on Wednesday afternoon. 

"If there is one area where politicisation of appointments should be avoided, it is that of judicial functions, and more specifically when it comes to judges who have to rule on laws drafted and voted in Parliament."

The draft law aims to abolish the category of 'former parliamentary' judges to make way for holders of a doctorate or a master's degree in law. It also aims to reform the gender composition of the Constitutional Court, from one third to half of the judges being women.

"It is not healthy that a law can be judged by those who made it. Having a party card is not a necessary 'power' to check whether laws are in line with the constitution," says party chairman François De Smet. "It is time to break the glass ceiling, also in the Constitutional Court," adds MP Sophie Rohonyi.

(KOR)

The Belgian Constitutional Court judges during a session in 2007 © BELGA PHOTO HERWIG VERGULT