Andrzej Rzepliński: Lithuanians had to open up for us

“It is a symbolic recognition of me and my work, but, first of all, it is a reward for all the judges of the constitutional courts of Poland and Lithuania,” said Andrzej Rzepliński, the president of the Constitutional Tribunal of the Republic of Poland, who, on July 6, 2013, was awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas.

Prof. Andrzej Rzepliński was decorated by President Dalia Grybauskaitė during a formal ceremony held in the Presidential Palace on the anniversary of the Day of the Coronation of King Mindaugas. This high state decoration was granted in recognition of active cooperation of the constitutional courts of Poland and Lithuania and the cultivation of constitutional values.

The constitutional courts of Poland and Lithuania have cooperated with one another for more than 20 years now.

“In 1992, Prof. Mieczysław Tyczka, the then president of the Constitutional Tribunal of the Republic of Poland, initiated the cooperation of the courts. For Polish judges, it was obvious that, throughout the years, just as we had been receiving help and support from German constitutional courts, we should now lend our support and experience to our Lithuanian friends. When the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania was coming into being, we gave advice to and shared our experience with the people. Today we cooperate with each other as equal partners,” says Prof. Andrzej Rzepliński.

Nowadays, every year plenary meetings of groups of judges are held and they offer an opportunity to discuss current affairs.

“Usually, during such meetings, a judge from a constitutional court both from Poland and Lithuania presents an authorial summary of constitutional judicial decisions made in his or her country. The second point in the agenda is a general discussion of a given subject and the presentation of judicial decisions in a given matter. This year such a plenary meeting of the courts of Poland and Lithuania will take place in Poland, in Silesia,” says Prof. Rzepliński.

According to Prof. Rzepliński, not only do the relations between the courts influence professional affairs, but they also affect Polish-Lithuanian relations.

“In the past, as the Constitutional Tribunal, we started to celebrate May 3 National Holiday (a Polish national holiday and anniversary of the declaration of the Constitution of May 3, 1791). We used to invite the president of the Constructional Court of the Republic of Lithuania to participate in the celebrations. Initially, our Lithuanian friends were surprised as it is common knowledge that, in Lithuania and Poland, there had been somewhat different opinions on the Constitution of May 3. Gradually, however, they realised that the Constitution had been written down also by Lithuanian MPs. It is also a document that is important for the history of both nations. Undoubtedly, the fact that the May 3 National Holiday is recognised as a holiday in Lithuania is the result of the cooperation between the constitutional courts of both countries,” emphasizes Prof. Andrzej Rzepliński.

“Lithuanians had to open up for us and overcome certain anxieties. Today, however, our cooperation is very good. The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania is an important partner among other courts of the European Union,” adds the president of the Constitutional Tribunal of the Republic of Poland.

Source: http://zw.lt/litwa/andrzej-rzeplinski-litwini-musieli-sie-na-nas-otworzyc/

Tłumaczenie by Elwira Łykus w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Elwira Łykus within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.