Trust: The most important asset of Constitutional Courts

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Published: October 1, 2026

Particularly at a time when there is growing mistrust of state institutions, citizens’ trust in Constitutional Courts is of particular importance.

This was precisely the focus of this year’s regional conference, which we organised jointly with the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia from 15 to 17 September 2026 in Ohrid. The central question was: How can trust in the constitutional judiciary be strengthened?

The participating judges from the constitutional courts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia, as well as the former President of the Constitutional Court of Saxony-Anhalt, Winfried Schubert, highlighted a wide range of areas for action in their presentations and practical reports. These include, on the one hand, conditions that must be met by the political sphere, such as the transparent and swift filling of vacant posts or, in North Macedonia, the introduction of the power to rule on constitutional complaints. However, the courts and their judges themselves also have a role to play. Examples range from exercising a certain degree of restraint when appearing in the media and when drafting dissenting opinions, to issuing comprehensible judgements and press releases. Incidentally, in the interests of transparency, the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia has recently begun livestreaming its hearings online.

During the event, the so-called Ohrid Dialogue was also launched. It is intended to further build on the outcomes of this intensive exchange of views at future meetings of the constitutional courts of the Western Balkans.

Once again, the nationwide media response in North Macedonia was enormous, confirming to us that the topic is of interest beyond the relevant specialist circles.