Publication Date

Summer 1992

Journal

East European Constitutional Review

Abstract

The Hungarian Constitutional Court's decision to invalidate a retroactivity law aimed at prosecuting crimes committed during the prior regime highlights a tension between rule-of-law principles and demands for retributive justice. The court ruled that extending or reopening statutes of limitations violated constitutional guarantees of legal certainty, non-retroactivity, and the protection of rights previously conferred. The decision underscores the court's commitment to an expansive interpretation of constitutional rights, emphasizing the importance of predictable and foreseeable legal consequences. While the ruling prioritizes rule-of-law values, it leaves unresolved the question of how to address past injustices in post-totalitarian societies.

Volume

1

Issue

2

First Page

17

Last Page

22

Publisher

University of Chicago Law School

Disciplines

Constitutional Law | International Law | Law

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