OPINION ON THE FOURTH AMENDMENT TO THE FUNDAMENTAL LAW

Adopted by the Venice Commission at its 95thPlenary Session
(Venice, 14 – 15 June 2013)

1. By letter of 11 March 2013, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr Thorbjørn Jagland, requested an opinion of the Venice Commis sion on the compatibility of the Fourth Amendment to the Fundamental Law of Hungary with the Council of Europe Standards.

2. By letter of 13 March 2013 to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Hungary, Mr János Martonyi, requested an opinion of the Venice Commission on the Fourth Amendment, with regard to the international commitments that derive from Hungary’s membership of the Council of Europe.

3. On 12 April 2013, a delegation of the Venice Commission, composed of Mr Wolfgang Hoffmann-Riem, Ms Hanna Suchocka, Mr Kaarlo Tuori and Mr Jan Velaers, accompanied by Mr Thomas Markert and Mr Schnutz Dürr from the Secretariat, visited Budapest. The delegation met with (in chronological order) Mr Róbert Répássy, State Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice, Mr László Sólyom former President of Hungary, Mr Tamás Gaudi-Nagy and Mr Csaba Gyüre (Jobbik party), Mr Bence Rétváry, State Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice (KDNP) and Mr Imre Vas (Fidesz), Mr Attila Mesterházy fraction leader of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP), Mr Gergely Bárándy (MSZP), Mr Gábor Galambos (MSZP), Mr Vilmos Szabo (MSZP), Mr Pal Schiffer (Politics can be different), Mr László Varju (Democratic Coaliton), Ms Tímea Szabó (Together 2014) and Mr József Szájer Member of the European Parliament (Fidesz) as well as with the following NGOs: Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Hungarian Civil Liberties Union and the Eötvös Károly Institute.

Venice Comission