North Macedonia’s Constitutional Court to debate controversial language law in March

Dec 24, 2024 - North Macedonia’s Constitutional Court has set a March 2024 date for the highly anticipated review of its controversial Language Use Law. The session, scheduled for March 19-21, will see experts in constitutional and international law, as well as former European Court of Human Rights judges, provide opinions on the law’s legality.

Court President Darko Kostadinovski confirmed that the Venice Commission’s “amicus curiae” advice will also be included before the session. The commission, a body known for offering guidance on constitutional matters, has raised concerns in the past over certain provisions of the law, particularly its impact on public institutions.

Passed in 2018 and enacted in 2019, the law has drawn significant criticism. It extends the use of the Albanian language across key public sectors, including judicial processes, police uniforms, and government documents. Opposition to the law has been strong, with 13 initiatives—including political parties—calling for a review, arguing that its provisions exceed international standards for minority languages.

In December, the court postponed its hearing after two Albanian judges boycotted the session, but Kostadinovski remains confident that the full panel will be present at the next session.