Wednesday 28 January 2009

Yet more Constitutional challenges for the Lisbon Treaty?

A new legal challenge to the Lisbon Treaty is being launched in Germany. The challenge concerns the Maastricht Treaty, the court's ruling on how it would affect the EU/EEC, and how the EU later evolved, and this concerns the Lisbon Treaty because it does nothing to overturn these unconstitutional changes which were brought about through the Maastricht Treaty.

If the court accepts this challenge, then it could delay the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty for months. This challenge wasn't lodged with the original challenge (made by another person) as they want "to have their argumentation proofed separately by the court" (to quote the EUobserver).

With the court about to finish work on the original challenge (hearing dates are 10-11th February), it is natural to see this as a stalling tactic.

That the court is considering whether or not to look at this challenge suggests that they could dismiss it.

Does anyone know whether they can dismiss it only on the grounds that it's not a good challenge or are there procedural grounds, such as not raising the challenge within a certain time period?

In other news, Russia has decided not to deploy missles in Kaliningrad. Yet.

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