Associations of Constitutional Supervision Authorities: Gentlemen Clubs or Hyde Parks

Introduction: The international activity of courts unrelated directly to administration of justice has not ceased despite ongoing conflicts and political confrontations. Activities of associations of higher courts, particularly those of constitutional review bodies, remain understudied. However, such associations are numerous, and work of some of them is relevant to the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation. The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation is a member of two analyzed associations: The Asian and Eurasian Associations, and an observer in the African Association. These associations are highly active, and demonstrate commitment to initially stated goals common to such entities — primarily promoting judicial cooperation and mutual support. The status and nature of the activities of associations of constitutional review bodies may be interesting to a researcher due to their continuous activities, as well as the diverse and noteworthy results, which are often public. Methodology: The present paper utilizes available materials and draws on general scientific and specialized research methods: the dialectical method, the systemic legal method, the formal legal method, and the comparative legal method. Results and Discussion: These methods were deployed for analysis of activities of these associations, concluding interactions within them are positive and useful. At the same time, it was shown that the Constitutional Court of Russia’ withdrawal from the European and World Conferences was justified by their clear deviation from their statutory goals and their use to promote foreign policy agendas of individual states, essentially for naming and shaming, a practice characteristic of non-governmental organizations rather than judicial associations. Conclusion: The materials studied indicate that “judicial diplomacy”, including within the framework of associations of constitutional review bodies, does not require normative regulation since it develops naturally, does not affect the competence of foreign policy agencies, does not entail legal obligations for the state; and the factor limiting possible excesses is above all the court’s responsible understanding of its function

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