Belgium - Court of Cassation, judgment no. C.13.0042

The Court of Cassation held that judges are obliged to remedy every legislative gap that has been found unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court. By refusing to grant a right of residence to a recognised stateless person without investigating whether he had involuntarily lost his nationality, and if he had demonstrated that he could not obtain a durable residence permit in another state with which he has ties, the Court of Appeal of Liège violated articles 10 and 11 of the Constitution.

Case name (in original language)
Arrêt no. C.13.0042
Case status
Decided
Case number
C.13.0042
Citation
Belgium, Court of Cassation, 27 May 2016, C.13.0042, http://jure.juridat.just.fgov.be/pdfapp/download_blob?idpdf=F-20160527-2
Date of decision
State
Court / UN Treaty Body
Court of Cassation
Language(s) the decision is available in
Dutch
French
Applicant's country of residence
Macedonia
Relevant Legislative Provisions

Articles 10 and 11 of the Belgian Constitution (Principle of equal treatment and non-discrimination)

Article 49 of the Law of 15 December 1980 (Aliens Law)

Decision & Reasoning

The Court of Cassation held that judges are obliged to remedy every legislative gap that has been found unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court. By refusing to grant a right of residence to a recognised stateless person without investigating whether he had involuntarily lost his nationality, and if he had demonstrated that he could not obtain a durable residence permit in another state with which he has ties, the Court of Appeal of Liège violated articles 10 and 11 of the Constitution

Caselaw cited

Constitutional Court, Judgment no. 198/2009 of 17 December 2009.

Constitutional Court, Judgment no. 1/2012 of 11 January 2012.