25 May 2009 - Professor Dr. Jasna Omejec, President together with other Judges of the Constitutional Court received today Professor Dr. Udo Steiner, former Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany and Dr. Eckhart Hien, former President of the Federal Administrative Court of Germany, who participated in the Conference marking the 60th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law (the Constitution) of the Federal Republic of Germany. The discussions were held about the eventual changes of the Croatian Constitution related to the Croatian accession to the EU as well as about the harmonisation of the jurisdiction of the Croatian Constitutional Court with that of the European Court of Human Rights. Professor Steiner addressed the problems the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany encounters in the individual protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. He also reflected on the relations between this Court and the European Court of Human Rights where the main problem stems from the position of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the German legal system. Namely, the Convention enjoys the status of a regular law, while the German Federal Court applies the Basic Law (the Constitution) only.
