26 January - A delegation of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia composed of Professor Jasna Omejec, President, Professor Željko Potočnjak and Ms Agata Račan, Judges participated in the I. World Conference on Constitutional Justice, held in Cape Town, South Africa from 22 - 24 January 2009 and hosted by the Constitutional Court of South Africa and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe. The members of more than 90 Constitutional Courts, Constitutional Councils and Supreme Courts with constitutional, including human rights jurisdiction addressed the issues concerning their influence on society and on developing a global human rights jurisprudence.
Discussions and reports showed a common concern for the defence of human rights and the rule of law both on a regional and global level, and the recognition of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights and other regional courts for human rights as the legal force and inspiration for the efficient protection of constitutional values and the rule of law. Consequently, the exchange of information and experience between the courts should be reinforced. In that sense the plan is to establish a World Association open to the courts belonging to the regional or linguistic groups. A second World Conference on constitutional justice should be organised within three years.
