The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Korea held the 3rd international symposium on “Constitutional Rights and AACC Members” on Wednesday-Thursday, November 10-11, 2021. The symposium is an annual event by the Constitutional Court of Korea as the Permanent Secretariat for Research and Development (SRD) of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions (AACC). The SRD annually organizes international symposiums and research conferences and publishes the results of research and investigations on constitutional adjudication of the member states.

President of the Constitutional Court of Korea Yoo Nam-seok opened the symposium. In his opening remarks, he expressed appreciation for the AACC delegations who had attended the event virtually. This was the SRD’s second virtual symposium amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “I believe this symposium will be an important platform to discuss and exchange experience among member states,” he said. He also added that this meeting would be a time to simultaneously examine the various aspects and common values of Asian countries’ constitutions and fundamental rights.

Chairperson of the Constitutional Court of Mongolia Chinbat Namjil, who is also the President of the AACC, and the President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio also delivered their speeches. Buquicchio stated that this international symposium would a very interesting and productive event because it discussed how the AACC members with different religions, ethnicities, and historical backgrounds have created different legal cultures in each country.

Judge of the Constitutional Court of Kyrgyzstan Kykkeldi Kydyrbaev; Judge of the Constitutional Court of Mongolia Erdenbuljan Juuja; Head of the Research, Publication, and Public Relations Office of the Philippines Sedfrey Candelaria were panelists in the first session alongside Justice Enny. Judge Kim Ki-young of the Constitutional Court of Korea moderated the first session. In the second session on “Constitutional Rights: New Challenges,” Judge Rushan Lufti Mohamed of the Federal Court of Malaysia and Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal of Pakistan Syed Sibt Hasan Hamsi were in the panel alongside moderator Gabriel Ingles, Executive Justice of the Court of Appeals of the Philippines.

Secretary-General of the Constitutional Court of Korea Park Jong-moon said in his closing remarks, “We had an exchange of valuable information about the role of international human rights norms and constitutional review in the constitutional adjudications where the fundamental rights under the constitution of each country are actually implemented.”

Researchers and judges from Indonesia, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Jordan, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan attended the symposium.