Constitutional Court

Buildings such as shopping malls and hotels that bring in revenue will be allowed to be built alongside the connection roads of Istanbul's third bridge over the Bosphorus, according to a clause passed in an omnibus bill last year 2014.

Germany's top court said Friday that Muslim teachers can wear the Islamic headscarf in class as long as it doesn't disrupt school activities, in a ruling likely to revive emotional debate.
      

Bulgaria's Constitutional Court has revoked sections of communications legislation allowing for the storage of telecommunications metadata and the access to them by Interior Ministry officials and other security personnel.

Bulgaria's Supreme Administrative Court (VAS) has refused to issue an interpretative ruling on whether the so-called Files' Commission (examining the Communist era secret services' files - editor's note) is authorized to disclose collaborators of the communist-era State Security (DS) on the basis of "cards" only.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Monday said that the constitution revision process should be completed this year, but an impediment in the National Liberal Party (PNL) may be represented by rallying around the position of the former Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) to oppose the amendment of the fundamental law.

Photo credit: (c) Liviu SOVA / AGERPRES PHOTO

Turkey?s top judicial body has initiated a minor purge in the judiciary, replacing 27 judges and prosecutors, including seven rapporteurs at the Constitutional Court.

A decree replacing 27 judges and prosecutors at judicial and administrative courts was released by the 1st Chamber of the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) late on March 5.

The Constitutional Court has once again refused to hear appeals to remove the 10 percent election threshold, which parties in the country need to surpass in order to win representation in parliament.

Public personalities, including actors, writers and journalists, have joined a campaign aimed at encouraging parents to enroll their children in religious studies classes in school.

Parents have by March 6 to file a written request if they want their children to attend divinity classes in school.

Journalist Mehmet Baransu was sent to court with a demand for his arrest on March 2 after being detained by anti-terror police in Istanbul in an operation over fabricated CDs that were used as evidence in the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) coup plot case.

Police detained Baransu late on March 1 after searching his home for almost 10 hours, seizing a number of documents.

The leader of opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Mihail Mikov requested in a letter to Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev to impose a veto on the issue of the new BGN 16 B debt.

Mikov warned that in case Plevneliev does not veto the debt, his party will appeal to the Constitutional Court, daily Dnevnik repots.