Lawsuit on the Lisbon Treaty Appealed to the Supreme Court

- How is it that we , the citizens, have no legal interest in a treaty to which our government is attaching such great importance, asks Ditte Staun from the People’s Movement Against the EU after the High Court declined treating the suit concerning a breach of our constitution in connection with the Lisbon Treaty

October 28 2009 Østre Landsret (one of the two high courts in Denmark) dismissed the suit which had been filed against the government by Ole Krarup, Niels Hausgaard, Helge Rørtoft-Madsen and 35 other citizens, claiming that it had committed a breach of the constitution by ratifying the Lisbon Treaty. The plaintiffs are of opinion that the treaty is in defiance of the Danish constitution and ought to have been submitted to the citizens in a referendum. The Junior Counsel to the Treasury, representing the government, is of opinion that the plaintiffs have no legal interest in the issue and that it should consequently be dismissed. The judges of the High Court found for the Junior Counsel to the Treasury. Now the plaintiffs will lodge an appeal with the Supreme Court.

In 1993, when a number of citizens accused the then government for breach of the constitution in connection with the Maastricht Treaty, the High Court also dismissed the interest of the citizens in the issue. The suit was taken to the Supreme Court which found that the citizens had an interest in the issue. But today the High Court is of opinion that this does not apply to the Lisbon treaty.

- It is no surprise to us that the High Court once more finds that citzens have no legal interest in the consequences of the treaty. If quite ordinary citizens have no interest in the issue, who has? We are looking forward to see the issue being tried at the Supreme Court, and we trust that the Supreme Court will at the very elast give weight to the citizens’ fundamental interest in the influence and effects of the treaty, says Ditte Staun, spokesperson for the People’s Movement Against the EU.

- The government is of opinion that this treaty is of tremendously great importance to us. Then how can their own counsel maintain that we, the citizens, have no legal interest in this matter?

Read more at int.folkebevaegelsen.dk