At the beginning of July 2022 the Max Planck Foundation held its fourth workshop with the Constitutional Court of Mali on the topic of the protection of fundamental rights afforded by constitutional courts especially within the framework of indirect individual petitions.
The relevance of the workshop topic was highlighted by the President of the Constitutional Court, H.E. Amadou Ousmane Touré in his inaugural speech in light of the Court’s limited exposure to human rights litigation as a result of the current procedural restrictions inhibiting Malian citizens to vindicate their fundamental rights before the Constitutional Court.
The workshop reflections focused on the question of proportionality and the balancing of conflicting interests and fundamental rights by constitutional judges. The strengthening of the protection of fundamental rights through inter-judicial dialogue was another theme which was thoroughly explored during the workshop, marked by its interactivity and lively discussions.
In his closing speech, the President expressed his satisfaction on behalf of the Court for the quality of the workshop and his hopes to have further workshops organised in the near future in order for the Court to be better prepared to face the challenges ahead.
The workshop was the fourth in a series of activities with the Constitutional Court of Mali under the Max Planck Foundation project, ‘Support to the Transitional Process in Mali’, generously funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.