Constitutional Court Refuses to Evaluate Constitutionality of Law On Introduction of Amendments and Changes to Certain Legal Acts of Republic of Belarus Concerning Enforcement of Responsibility for Actions against human and civil defense

This was stated in the official response of the Constitution Court to the inquiry of Belarusian Association of Journalists. Vice-chair of the Constitutional Court Mr. Maryskin refers to the fact that the law hasn’t been enforced.

The lawyers of Belarusian Association of Journalists emphasize that during the time of the inquiry consideration by the Constitutional Court (the answer is dated 29 December 2005) the law was signed by the president and was enforced. The organization intends to repeat the inquiry to the Constitutional Court. Besides, according to BAJ, the court didn’t answer the second half of the inquiry that concerned the non-execution of its decision of 1 September 2003 On introduction of supplements to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. In 2003 the court considered another BAJ inquiry and proposed to the Chamber of Representatives to consider the question about supplying the Criminal Code with the remark to Articles 367-369 (defamation and insult of president) that would exclude the possibility of “wrong juridical interpretation of the public appearances of journalists and other persons with criticism” and “provide additional guarantees of defense of the constitutional right to receive complete, true and timely information, defense of the liberty of press and other mass media”.