Developments in Belgian constitutional law: The year 2016 in review

Abstract

This contribution presents an overview of the Belgian Constitutional Court and its activities during 2016. Two constitutional controversies that were at the forefront of political discussions and attracted much media attention are discussed, namely the separation of powers and the refugee "crisis" as well as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the European Union and Canada. Moreover, the article gives an overview of the main cases of the Belgian Constitutional Court of the past year that may be of interest to an international audience. These cases are divided into the following categories: the Belgian Constitution in Europe and the world, separation of powers, justice and order, ethical issues and hot topics.