Last Updated: Wednesday, 17 May 2023, 15:20 GMT

Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle

The Constitutional Court is a court of law composed of twelve judges who watch over the observance of the Constitution by the legislative authorities of Belgium. It has the power to annul and suspend laws, decrees and ordinances. In view of its special mission, it is independent of the legislative, the executive and the judiciary authorities. The precursor of the Constitutional Court was the Court of Arbitration, established in 1980. The Court of Arbitration owed its name to its original mission, which was to act as arbitrator between the different legislatures of the federal State, the Communities and the Regions by monitoring the conformity of laws, decrees and ordinances with the power-assigning rules in the Constitution and the laws on institutional reform. The designation “Constitutional Court” since May 2007 is more in keeping with the actual jurisdiction of this court of law, which has been gradually extended to include the review of laws, decrees and ordinances with Title II of the Constitution (Articles 8 to 32 on the rights and freedoms of the Belgians) and with Articles 170 and 172 (legality and equality of taxes) and 191 (protection of foreign nationals). Website: www.const-court.be/
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Arrêt n° 23/2021 du 25 février 2021

The court annulled parts of the recently amended Belgian legislation by finding: 1) refugees cannot be prosecuted based on illegal entry or stay, 2) asking refugees to deposit their original documents for the entirety of the procedure violated their right to privacy, 3) the provision regarding detention is justified for purposes of investigation prior to admission, and 4) the shortened appeal period (from 15 to 10 days) was not unconstitutional. The court annulled 7 provisions and clarified 7 others.

25 February 2021 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Document type: Case Law | Countries: Belgium

Arrêt n°18/2018

The court annulled article 1 of the Law of 15 december 1980 on aliens on the grounds that, the absence of an derogatory regime to the benefit of stateless persons for the fee due in the residence regularisation procedure, constitutes an unjustified difference of treatment between refugees and stateless persons. The absence of an automatic right of residence implies that, de facto, stateless persons have to pay this fee whilst refugees do not.

22 February 2018 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Document type: Case Law | Topic(s): Access to procedures - Equality before the law - Residence permits / Residency - Statelessness | Countries: Belgium

Arrêt n° 1/2014 du 16 janvier 2014

16 January 2014 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Document type: Case Law | Topic(s): Effective remedy - Safe country of origin | Countries: Albania - Belgium - Bosnia and Herzegovina - India - Montenegro - North Macedonia - Serbia

Arrêt n° 166/2013 du 19 décembre 2013

19 December 2013 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Document type: Case Law | Topic(s): Children's rights - Immigration Detention - Prison or detention conditions | Countries: Belgium

Arrêt n° 121/2013

26 September 2013 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Document type: Case Law | Topic(s): Family reunification | Countries: Belgium

Arrêt n° 1/2012 du 11 janvier 2011

11 January 2012 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Document type: Case Law | Topic(s): Rights of non-citizens - Statelessness - Statelessness | Countries: Belgium - Uzbekistan

Arrêt n° 95/2008 du 26 juin 2008

This is a decision on the constitutionality of certain aspects of the Belgian Aliens Act of 15 December 1980 (Loi du 15 décembre 1980 sur l'accès au territoire, le séjour, l'établissement et l'éloignement des étrangers), as amended by the law of 15 September 2006.

26 June 2008 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Document type: Case Law | Topic(s): Family reunification - Right to family life | Countries: Belgium

Arrêt n° 81/2008 du 27 mai 2008

This is a decision on the constitutionality of certain aspects of the Belgian Aliens Act (Loi du 15 décembre 1980 sur l'accès au territoire, le séjour, l'établissement et l'éloignement des étrangers), as amended by the law of 15 September 2006.

27 May 2008 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Document type: Case Law | Topic(s): Access to procedures - Appeal / Right to appeal | Countries: Belgium

Arrêt n° 20/93 du 4 mars 1993

En cause: les recours en annulation partielle de la loi du 15 décembre 1980 sur l'accès au territoire, le séjour, l'établissement et l'éloignement des étrangers, modifiée par la loi du 18 juillet 1991, introduits par l'Ordre national des avocats de Belgique et les associations sans but lucratif Amnesty International-Belgique francophone, Mouvement contre le racisme, l'antisémitisme et la xénophobie, Ligue des droits de l'homme et Syndicat des avocats pour la démocratie.

4 March 1993 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Document type: Case Law | Countries: Belgium

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