The 7^th Conference of Asian Constitutional Court Judges

(CACCJ)

Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia

12 -15 July 2010

 

 

The 7^th Conference of Asian Constitutional Court Judges was held in Jakarta, Indonesia on July 12^th until July 15^th, 2010 as The Constitutional Court of Indonesia was trusted to be the host of this annual event. This conference was  attended by delegates of Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions from 26 countries around the world. These participating countries were not only from Asia, but also Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and America. Two international organizations also participated in this conference which were Venice Commission and Konrad Adenaur Stiftung.

 

The theme of the conference was “General Election Law” and it had a very important meaning for the development of democracy and the rule of law in each participating country, especially in relations to the law and practices in organizing general election. This Conference were expected to give positive contributions to the application of values of democracy in organizing General Elections in the respective participating countries. Therefore, in order to achieve optimum results, the theme of  ”General Election Law” were divided into three sub-themes, namely:

 

   1. Concepts of Electoral Systems in Comparison,

 

   2. Typical Problem and Shortcomings in Law and Practice,

 

   3. Dealing with Election Complaints.

 

Justices of Constitutional Court and Equivalent Institutions will discuss various fundamental issues related to theme. Presentations and papers delivered by delegates, that contained ideas and information on the law and practices of general election in each country, and the discussion process which took place in the course of the conference, were very beneficial and served as reference in developing democracy and implementing the principles of rule of law.

 

This conference also marked the beginning of AACC as a quite historical event in the development of constitutionalism in Asia had taken place here, and that was the Jakarta Declaration on the Establishment of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions. The  Jakarta Declaration can be viewed as a milestone in the beginning of a more intensive and effective cooperation agenda among the countries involved in the Association towards achieving their shared goals and objectives as set forth in the Statute of the Association, bringing positive implications for the countries involved in it, and becoming a new supplement to the global agenda for the promotion of democracy and constitutionalism.

Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Jakarta

The 1^st Congress of the AACC

or Inaugural Congress 

Lotte Hotel Seoul, Republic of Korea

20-24 May 2012

 

 

The 1^st Congress of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions (AACC) which was also known as Inaugural Congress was held on  May 20^th until May 24^th, 2012 in Seoul, Republic of Korea, as The Constitutional Court of Korea was selected to be the host of the event. The theme of the congress was “Present and Future of Constitutional Justice in Asia”.

 

The participants of this were coming from more than 30 constitutional courts and equivalent institutions exercising constitutional jurisdiction, representatives of 7 regional and linguistic groups and distinguished scholars have been invited as members, observers and guests by the decision of the Board of Members.

 

This event was expected to bring together not only the members of the AACC but also the institutions exercising constitutional jurisdiction from other countries, regional and linguistic groups and legal experts to share their insights and experiences, as well as strengthen mutual trust and friendship.

 

The congress used English, Korean and Russians as the official language of the congress with simultaneous interpretation. In order to achieve a better understanding about the general theme,  this congress was divided into three sessions consisting of different subthemes for each session as following:

1. Promotion of Democracy and Constitutional Justice;
2. Increase in International Exchanges and Constitutional Justice from Social, Economic and Cultural Perspective;
3. Role and Future of the AACC.

Lotte Hotel Seoul, Republic of Korea

The 2^nd Congress of the AACC

Hiton Hotel, Istanbul, Republic of Turkey

27 April - 1 May 2014

 

The 2^nd Congress of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions (AACC) hosted by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Turkey was held at Hilton Hotel, Istanbul on 27 April-1 May 2014.

 

In addition to several international organizations and courts, members and observer from the courts of the Association were invited to participate in the activities of the 2^nd AACC Congress, which were attended by approximately 200 participants comprising of the presidents, judges, justices and staff members of Constitutional and Supreme Courts from 23 Countries.

 

Beside the Congress, Afghanistan, Indonesia, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Thailand, Tajikistan and Turkey participated in the Board of Members Meeting held on 28 April 2014 as member countries. Azerbaijan was admitted as the new member of the Association at the meeting. Furthermore, Constitutional Court of Indonesia was elected as the new term president and the next meeting of the Association was unanimously decided to be held in Indonesia in April 2015. It was the time when the crucial decisions with regard to the future activities of the Association were adopted.

 

Subsequent to the Board of Members Meeting of the AACC, the inaugural ceremony of the 2^nd Congress of the AACC began with the keynote speech of the President of the Constitutional Court, Mr. Haşim KILIÇ, at Hilton Convention Center at 10:30. Afterwards, the President of the Conference on Constitutional Jurisdictions of Africa Mr. Mogoeng Mogoeng, President of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts Prof. Dr. Gerhart Holzinger, President of the Constitutional Court of Korea, which would host the 3^rdWorld Conference on Constitutional Justice, Mr. Han-Chul Park and President of the Venice Commission Dr. Gianni Buquicchio delivered their opening remarks.

 

Four sessions were presented in the Congress, each dealt with a different subject matter and was presided by a moderator. The 1^st day of the Congress held two sessions and ended at 16:50.

 

The 2^nd day of the Congress began on 29 April 2014 at 10:00 and ended at 15:00 right after the 3^rd and 4^th sessions were done. Final Meeting of Board of Members of the AACC was held on the same day and Istanbul Declaration was signed by all members. The meeting ended after handing-over of the Flag of the Association to the President of the Constitutional Court of Indonesia, which was elected as the new Term President. Then, a speech was delivered by the new Term President. The President of the Constitutional Court of Turkey, Mr. Haşim KILIÇ held a press conference with the President of the Constitutional Court of Indonesia Mr. Zoelva regarding the activities of the 2^nd Congress of the AACC at the end of the meeting. Information on the developments during Turkeys term presidency was provided and Istanbul Declaration, which was unanimously adopted by the Association, was announced to the press.

 

A visit was paid to Topkapı Palace after the Concert of the Janissary Band at the entrance of the Palace, preceded by the visits paid to Sultan Ahmet Mosque and Hagia Sophia Museum on 30 April. Having the opportunity to see the Grand Bazaar, the delegations departed for Çırağan Palace for Gala Dinner. The Concert of “Kardeş Türküler” livened up the night at Çırağan Palace. The activities ended after the vote of thanks of the President of the Constitutional Court Mr. Haşim KILIÇ adressing the delegations participating in the 52^nd Anniversary and 2^nd Congress of the AACC.

Hilton Hotel, Istanbul

The 3^rd Congress of the AACC

Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia

11-12 August 2016

 

The 3^rd congress of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions (AACC) was officially opened by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr. Joko Widodo, on Thursday, 11 August 2016. The congress focused on the issues surrounding “The Promotion and Protection of the Constitutional Rights of Member States’ Citizens”. Following the official opening of the AACC Congress by the President, AACC member states moved on to a discussion of how to protect constitutional rights within their own borders.

 

As an association that encompasses the Constitutional Courts and other equivalent institutions of 16 countries in Asia, the AACC had served as a forum for the members to exchange their experiences and information on the practices of protecting the citizens’ constitutional rights. Thus, the 3^rd Congress of the AACC served as a common ground for the AACC members’ commitment to uphold the values of human rights, democracy, and rule of law as the fundamental aspects for the further work of the AACC as well as all participants contributing in this noble event.

The discussion on “The Promotion and Protection of Citizens’ Constitutional Rights” was divided to three subthemes, namely:

 

1. Mechanisms for Promotion and Protection of Citizens’ Constitutional Rights: Perspective from Different Countries;
2. The Role of Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions in Promoting and Protecting Citizens’ Constitutional Rights through Its Landmark Decisions;
3. Challenges and Future Direction for Enhancing the Promotion and Protection of Citizens’ Constitutional Rights.

 

The discussion began with the former President of the Constitutional Court of Korea, Mr. Kang-Kook Lee. Mr. Lee saying a few remarks and stressing on the importance of protecting constitutional rights across Asia. After that, each member state, including Indonesia, Korea, and Thailand, took turns to explain the various methods applied by their constitutional courts. Indonesia stated that the Constitutional Court had resolved the various national problems which had been dogging the court’s role as the guardian of the Indonesian constitution.

 

In addition, the AACC Members signed Bali Declaration as an outcome of the Congress and was adopted as the closing statement of Board of Members Meeting. The Bali Declaration was a landmark document that further seeks to strengthen social protection, access to justice, humane and fair treatment, and the independence of constitutional rights.

 

On 12 August 2016, the President of AACC hosted a Special Gala Celebration with magnificent cultural performance with Borneo and Balinese dancers. Finally, as the closing of the 3^rd Congress of AACC, the foreign participants had sight-seeing around Nusa Dua, Bali as the cultural agenda before leaving Indonesia.

Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia

Nur-Sultan, Republic of Kazakhstan

The Constitutional Court of Mongolia as the AACC President of 2019-2021 held the Fifth Congress of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions (AACC) on “Recent Developments of Constitutional Justice in Asia,” on Thursday, August 18, 2022 in person and online. from Ulaanbaatar. More than 30 representatives of constitutional review institutions from 20 member countries of the Association, including Presidents and Chief Justices are participating in this conference. 

 

Mr. Chinbat Namjil, Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court of Mongolia, President of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions, addressed the opening of the Congress by saying: “The role of the Constitutional Court in the development of constitutionalism is very high in the world, it is not only a measure for the implementation of the rule of law by state authorities and officials but also a guarantee of constitutional maturity. However, due to the rapid penetration of science and technology development and forms of electronic communication into the social and economic life of the world, the principle of the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution have been demanded to be further perfected.

 

The work of the Congress was held in two sessions dedicated to the implementation of constitutional control in the context of global changes, as well as new challenges such as digitalization, e-government and climate change.

Ulaanbaatar - Mongolia