On its thirtieth anniversary, the Constitutional Council organized on June 17, 2025, under the patronage of the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, a symposium at the InterContinental Phoenicia Hotel - Beirut, in collaboration with the Rule of Law Program for the MENA region of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. This conference aims to highlight the role played by the Constitutional Council in strengthening constitutional legitimacy and consolidating the principles of democracy over the past three decades.
The conference was inaugurated with the national anthem, followed by an opening speech delivered by the President of the Constitutional Council, judge Tannous Mechleb, then by the Director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Lebanon, Michael Bauer, followed by the German Ambassador to Lebanon, Kurt Georg Stockl-Stillfried, and the Minister of Justice, Adel Nassar. The speech of the President of the Republic was delivered by his representative, Dr. Tarek Mitri, Deputy Prime Minister.
The seminar was moderated by a group of academics and featured interventions from several experts in constitutional law, including Dr. Lara Boustani Karam and Dr. Adel Yammine. The speech of the President of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Palestine, judge Ali Muhanna, was read by Judge Riad Abou Ghaida (due to his inability to travel to Lebanon (first session). Dr. Issam Sleiman, former President of the Constitutional Council, along with Judge Mireille Najm, member of the Constitutional Council, spoke during the second session. The third session featured contributions from Dr. Fawzat Farhat and Judge Elias Mecherkani, both members of the Constitutional Council.
The conference highlighted the authority to interpret the Constitution and the role of constitutional courts in preserving constitutional supremacy through their review of the constitutionality of laws. It also addressed the jurisdiction of constitutional courts in electoral disputes, within the framework of the principle of separation of powers, to ensure a fair and democratic electoral process. The final session focused on the mechanism for appointing members of the Constitutional Council, as well as the immunities and guarantees they enjoy ensuring their independence and protection from interference by other authorities.