Terms of Four Hungarian Constitutional Court Judges Expire

Hungary’s parliament must elect new Constitutional Court judges within 60 days after four terms expired, according to the rules cited in the report. The court also lacks a president.

The court’s full session can reach a quorum only when at least two-thirds of its serving members attend. The president must be present, or, if unavailable, the vice president or another member designated by the president.

One vacancy had already opened in July when Csaba Hende left the 15-member body. Hende, a former MDF and Fidesz lawmaker and former defense minister, became ineligible under the combined effect of a constitutional amendment and changes to the Constitutional Court law. The new rules require constitutional judges to be eligible for election to parliament, while the amendment limits parliamentary service to 12 years.

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The Tisza Party arbitrarily deprived Csaba Hende of his position as a constitutional judge.

Parliament elected Pál Sonnevend, a department head and former dean at the ELTE Faculty of Law, to replace Hende. The Fidesz parliamentary group accused the Tisza Party of arbitrarily removing Hende and said it would not participate in what it called a sham nomination and election process.

Ágnes Czine’s 12-year term expires in November. She became the court’s vice president on Sept. 1, after the body elected her to the position two weeks earlier.

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The Fidesz parliamentary group will not participate in the sham nomination and election of a new constitutional judge.