Parliament's Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System called for appointment of ten new Constitutional Court judges

Zagreb - The Parliament's Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System on Friday called on the competent bodies to propose to it in the next 30 days candidates for ten new Constitutional Court judges.

On 7 June the terms of ten of the 13 Constitutional Court judges expired. Under the Constitution, their terms are automatically extended for a maximum of six months, until 7 December 2024.

The judges whose terms have expired are Andrej Abramović, Ingrid Antičević Marinović, Snježana Bagić, Branko Brkić, Mario Jelušić, Lovorka Kušan, Josip Leko, Davorin Mlakar, Rajko Mlinarić and Miroslav Šumanović. The terms of Constitutional Court President Miroslav Šeparović, as well as judges Mato Arlović and Goran Selanec last until October 2025.

The judges of the Constitutional Court are appointed by a two-thirds parliamentary majority, namely at least 101 votes, for a term of eight years.

The Parliament's Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System today published on its website a call for judicial institutions, law faculties, the Bar Association, legal associations, political parties, and other legal entities and individuals to nominate candidates for the ten new judges of the Constitutional Court.

The candidates need to be Croatian citizens and have a degree in law, as well as at least 15 years of professional experience. They should stand out with their scientific or professional work or public activity. A candidate may also hold a PhD in legal studies and, along with the other requirements, have at least 12 years of professional experience.

Judges of the Constitutional Court are elected from among prominent jurists.

The deadline for nominations is 30 days from the publication of the call in the Official Gazette.

Upon the expiry of that deadline, the parliamentary committee will check the validity of the submitted candidacies and conduct public interviews with all the candidates who meet the set conditions and shortlist them on the basis of the collected data and interview results.

At a plenary session of the Sabor, MPs vote individually on each of the proposed candidates.

Committee chair Ivan Malenica said earlier it was realistic to expect the new judges to be elected in early October.

The biographies of all proposed candidates will be published on the Sabor's website.