On April 28, MCC's Center for Constitutional Politics welcomed Professor Marc Bossuyt, Former President of the Belgian Constitutional Court, as part of the “A View from the Bench” seminar series. The event offered not only an overview of an exceptional professional career, but also a deeper insight into the personal dimensions of constitutional adjudication and the application of international law.
During the discussion, Professor Bossuyt reflected on the defining moments of his career path, recalling how his doctoral dissertation on Belgian language rights led him to become a recognized expert in the field of human rights. This academic foundation later opened the way to positions within United Nations committees and ultimately to his role as a constitutional judge. Particular attention was given to his experiences within the UN framework, where he closely followed the development of minority protection regulations in Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania during the post-communist transition period.
The conversation also explored the internal dynamics of judicial decision making. Speaking about the institution of dissenting opinions, Professor Bossuyt explained that while he recognizes their legitimacy in other legal systems, in the case of the Belgian Constitutional Court the country’s deep linguistic divisions make public judicial disagreements potentially harmful to the authority of the institution and the unity of its rulings. In this context, he also cautioned against the dangers of judicial activism, emphasizing the importance of respecting the boundary between law and politics.
Reflecting on the 2015 migration crisis, Professor Bossuyt offered an analysis of the tensions between international refugee law and national constitutional order. In closing, he highlighted the importance of mastering the specific mode of legal reasoning that defines the legal profession, stressing that the consistent application of this mindset forms the foundation of all credible legal practice.
