Special Topic: Procedural Rules and Practices Grounding the Decisions of the Constitutional Court of Romania

The significant powers given by the Romanian Constitution to the Constitutional Court represent various and effective instruments to achieve its main role, meaning to guarantee the supremacy of the Constitution. Since the Constitutional Court’s decisions are generally binding, and given their role to ‘remodel’ the entire legal system, for the purposes of its constitutionalisation, it is vital to make them known and understood, also with reference to the underlying decision-making process. In this regard, the configuration of the procedure to settle the cases referred to the Constitutional Court represents in itself a framework ensuring the transparency in the decision-making process, in particular through the involvement in this process of public authorities representing the three State powers which are asked, according to the law, to express their written opinions in almost all cases judged by the Court. There are also other professionals, bodies, and authorities that may be requested to submit information and opinions and, furthermore, we have to underline the legal duty of publication of the decisions of the Constitutional Court in the Official Journal of Romania. This framework, as well as other instruments such as the system which provides for an online, direct access of the media, or the viewing/listening of Constitutional Court’s public sessions, press releases, other tools and practices aiming at informing on the activity of the Constitutional Court provide openness and transparency to its activity.