Meeting with the German Federal Constitutional Court
On 12 March 2026, a delegation of the German Federal Constitutional Court, led by its President, Prof. Dr. Stephan Harbarth, paid a visit to the Court. During the visit, the delegation had the opportunity to exchange views with judges and members of the Registry on issues relating to the right to freedom of religion and the autonomy of religious communities; the treatment of persons with mental health problems; and freedom of expression in the digital age.
The President of the Court, Mattias Guyomar, welcomed the participants and highlighted the vital dialogue between the Court and national constitutional courts through judgments, advisory opinions, the Knowledge Sharing platform, and institutional visits. He emphasised the complementary roles of the European Court and the German Federal Constitutional Court, as well as their shared responsibility for safeguarding human rights.
“The Strasbourg Court acts as a constitutional court of human rights in charge of protecting the European public order”, said President Guyomar, adding that “it deliberately incorporates national constitutional identities and the case law of national courts into its own decisions”.