The Constitutional Court of Saarland (also Saarland Constitutional Court) is the constitutional court of the German state of Saarland. The court also has the special status of a constitutional body (see: Constitution of Saarland). According to the Constitution of December 15, 1947, the Constitutional Court of Saarland is the third organ of the will of the people alongside the state parliament and the state government (Article 97 SVerf). The detailed regulations on the Constitutional Court are set out in the Law on the Constitutional Court.
The seat of the Constitutional Court is Saarbrücken.
Composition and election The Constitutional Court is made up of eight judges. Each of these eight judges is assigned a deputy. The judges and their respective deputies are elected for a term of six years by a two-thirds majority of the statutory number of members of the state parliament. Re-election is possible. There are certain requirements that a member of the Constitutional Court must fulfill: they must be a German citizen and eligible for election to the state parliament, be at least 35 years old and have the qualifications to hold judicial office or to hold a higher administrative service. At least two members and their deputies must be professional judges and belong to a higher regional court.
Administration The administration is carried out by the President.
Duties
The Constitutional Court decides:
on the compatibility of a state law with the constitution (abstract and concrete normative controls) on disputes between organs on constitutional complaints on challenges to certain decisions of the state parliament or the state government regarding popular initiatives and referendums on election and mandate checks on charges against members of the government and on other matters mentioned in the Constitutional Court Act.
History The Constitutional Court had been planned since the Constitution of Saarland came into force in 1947, but at that time it had very limited powers. The actual tasks of a constitutional court lay with the Constitutional Commission, which was created on the model of France. So the Constitutional Court initially only existed on paper. Only after the referendum on the Saar Statute on October 23, 1955, which rejected it and paved the way for the political and economic integration of the Saarland into the Federal Republic, was a comprehensive constitutional amendment passed in December 1956, transferring the previous powers of the Constitutional Commission to the Constitutional Court. It began its work in January 1959 with the election of its members and its president in February 1959.
Judgements
Contact tracing had t be revived in (August 2020). Raw measurement data must be produced to be used as evidence The 3-member AfD parliamentary group is not entitled to additional financing from the state parliament
Members Source
Presidents since 1959 #NameAmtszeitWeiteres Amt1Erich Lawall1959–1964President of the Higher Regional Court of Saarbrücken2Hans Oehlenschläger1964–1966President of the Higher Administrative Court of Saarland3Rolf Best1966–1971President of the Higher Regional Court of Saarbrücken4Philipp Marzen1971–1974President of the Higher Administrative Court of Saarland5Wilhelm Gehrlein1974–1985President of the Higher Regional Court of Saarbrücken6Horst Hilpert1986–1995President of the Saarland State Labour Court7Roland Rixeckersince 1995President of the Saarland Higher Regional Court
Current members
MembersDeputyNameTerm in officeOther offices heldNameTerm in officeOther offices heldRoland Rixecker(President)until 15 Juliy2026Former President of the Higher Regional CourtChristoph Schmituntil 7 December 2028Presiding Judge at the Administrative CourtRudolf Wendt(Vice president)until 15 July 2026University professorAlma Abegguntil 17 November 2027LawyerRoberto Bartoneuntil 12 June 2024Judge at the Finance CourtSteffen Dickuntil 17 November 2027President of the State Social CourtAnna-Catharina Marschuntil 16 February 2029Judge at the Finance CourtMichaela Treeseuntil 14 February 2029Legal SecretaryClaudia Witschuntil 17 November 2027Judge at the Administrative CourtAnnemarie Matusche-Beckmannuntil 19 Juni 2024University professorRenate Trenzuntil 15.Juli 2026Judge at the Administrative CourtThomas Casparuntil 18 April 2029District Court JudgeHans-Georg Warkenuntil 15.July 2026LawyerMarkus Großuntil 19 June 2024LawyerHans-Peter Freymannuntil 17 November 2027President of the Higher Regional CourtKarl-Werner Dörruntil 13 September 2028President of the State Labour Court
Literature
Werner Thieme: Die Entwicklung des Verfassungsrechts im Saarland von 1945 bis 1958. In: Jahrbuch des Öffentlichen Rechts der Gegenwart. Neue Folge / Bd. 9, 1960, S. 432–462.
External links
Offizielle Website des Verfassungsgerichtshofs des Saarlandes Übersicht der Rechtsprechung des Saarländischen Verfassungsgerichtshofs
References