as requested

[drgringo]

Moved from General thread to legal in hopes of a legal interpretation or perspective on this statement below;
Is this as bad as it sounds?? is this a step towards the removal of real democracy?


From Listin Diario:

NO PODRÁN DEMANDAR INCONSTITUCIONALIDAD
La Asamblea rechazó que el ciudadano pueda demandar en inconstitucionalidad las normas y actos jurídicos de conformidad con los procedimientos establecidos por ley, debido a que esa facultad estará incluida en el Tribunal Constitucional que será incluida en la nueva Carta Magna. Ésto varía lo aprobado en primera lectura, cuando se le dio facultad al ciudadano de demandar en inconstitucionalidad.

Sin embargo, en el acuerdo pactado por el PLD y el PRD, se decidió su eliminación.

En cambio la Asamblea aprobó que el ciudadano tiene derecho a denunciar las faltas cometidas por los funcionarios públicos en el desempeño de sus cargos, acogiendo una propuesta de la Comisión de Verificación.

Listin Diario

[peep2]

The way I understand it, the citizens of the D.R. will not have the opportunity to vote for this new constitution one way or the other. Since the politicians are forcing the new rules on the citizenry with out their say, it probably doesn't matter much that the public can't voice their opinion on the constitutionality of a particular situation. Please note....I am not getting involved in politics! As a gringo,that would be unconstitutional!

[Chip]

We have been discussing this topic in another thread, excuse the title - it is a real link though:

....

[Chirimoya]

This is a spin-off from Lu's thread. The idea was to get Fabio's perspective on the legalities of these latest changes to the Constitution.

When you think of the popular consultation process they launched a couple of years back - supposedly speaking and listening to ordinary Dominicans, all sectors of society, all over the country, rich, poor, rural, urban, men, women, youth and children... but the changes they make pander to the interests of the powerful. What a joke.

[Fabio J. Guzman]

Before, by an interpretation of the 1994 Constitution, any citizen could go to the Supreme Court and try to have any particular law, decree, etc. declared unconstitutional. The Supreme Court varied the precedent this year with the Sun Land (name?) case. The PLD and the PRD apparently want to restrict this right expressly in the new Constitution.

The rights of any citizen for a quick recourse on any matter of constitutional law is a Costan Rican innovation. There, the so-called 4th Chamber of the Supreme Court works night and day receiving petitions from any citizen who thinks his constitutional rights are violated. No lawyers required! The way it worked in the DR, lawyers were required and the adjudication took months if not years.