Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 15 March (BelTA) – We need to promote the public legal awareness and knowledge in the country, Chairman of Belarus’ Constitutional Court Piotr Miklashevich said at the meeting with the head of state, BelTA has learned.

“Further strengthening of the constitutional legality stipulates the promotion of legal awareness and knowledge based on the deep understanding and perception of the values and principles of the Constitution. Certainly, we must cultivate the legal awareness and knowledge of people and government officials who are engaged in professional activities on the constitutional basis. It should be borne in mind that through the implementation of the constitutional provisions, we encourage people to become active participants in the constitutional legal relationship,” Piotr Miklashevich noted.

The issues of promoting the constitutionally oriented awareness in modern conditions, constitutionalization of law were one of the most talked about at the meeting with the president. The issues were reviewed in various aspects, both in terms of improving the legal framework and enhancing the interaction between the government bodies and also in terms of raising the public legal awareness, inserting the relevant programs and techniques in the educational process at different stages.

Piotr Miklashevich voiced a number of specific proposals to enhance the effectiveness of the legal regulation taking into account the European and world trends. In his view, constitutional control is the integral institution underpinning democratic development, sustainability of statehood.

The role of the Constitutional Court in eliminating the loopholes in legal acts, conflicts of laws and legal uncertainty was also discussed during the meeting.

One of the issues that topped the agenda of the meeting was the access to constitutional justice for citizens. Today the law regulates the procedure for indirect access through entities authorized to apply to the Constitutional Court with proposals to verify regulatory legal acts. The participants of the meeting discussed the ways to intensify this work and make it more efficient.

The meeting also touched upon the issue of international cooperation of the Constitutional Court. Deputy Chairwoman of the court Natalya Karpovich stated that in 2019 the country will be marking 25 years of its Constitution and the constitutional justice. A suggestion was made to organize an international conference as part of the celebrations and invite representatives of foreign constitutional courts and international organizations on constitutional justice. Alexander Lukashenko supported the initiative to hold such a forum.