La cour constitutionnelle et le contrôle de la constitutionnalité des lois en Autriche
Institution:
PauDisciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
The history of the constitutional court-created in 1920 and based on doctrinal reflections and practical experiments dating back to the xixe century-helps better understand the current reality of the institution. This court is endowed with a wide range of competences which ranks is above most other european courts for which it served as a model. The control of the constitutionality of laws is therefore "centralised" (as opposed to the american "decentralised" system), and is mainly applied a posteriori. In austria both abstract and concrete controls coexist and contribute to safeguarding the supreme norm-conceived in a fashion that is at once extensive and positivist. The "guarantee of the constitution" is thus ensuved through the initiative of those who have right of submission and are thus in a position ot protect a wide range of interests : wether federative (lander or federal governments), political (parliamentary minorities) or individual (supreme court judges or high court judges; or individuals directly). Although the decision to nullify a law has, in principle, pro futuro effect, the interests of the applicant are secured by some measure of retroactivity.
Abstract FR:
La genese de la cour constitutionnelle cree en 1920 - et fondee sur des reflexions doctrinales et des experiences pratiques remontant au xixe siecle - permet de mieux comprendre la realite contemporaine de cette institution, dotee d'une panoplie de competences qui la place a l'un des meilleurs rangs en comparaison des autres cours europeennes, auxquelles elle a servi de modele. Le controle de la constitutionnalite des lois, qui est donc un controle "concentre" (a l'oppose du controle "diffus" pratique aux etats-unis), s'exerce principalement a posteriori. Le controle abstrait et le controle concret qui coexistent en autriche contribuent a la sauvegarde de la norme supreme-concue de facon extensive mais positiviste. La "garantie de la constitution" est ainsi assuree grace a l'initiative des titulaires du droit de saisine, qui sauvegardent par la-meme des interets tres divers : federatifs (gouvernements de land ou de la federation), politiques (minorites parlementaires) ou individuels (juges supremes ou de deuxieme instance; individus directement). Si l'arret d'annulation de la loi a, en principe, un effet pro futuro, une retroactivite partielle vient privilegier toutefois les interets du requerant.