The challenge of local acts by the members of the Corporation: from ex-lege legitimation to ultra-legem legitimation

A comment to the Constitutional Court Judgment 173/2004, of October 18

Abstract

Summary: I. THE ARTS. 19 AND 20 OF THE LJCA. JUSTIFICATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF ART. 20. II. THE EXCEPTION TO ART. 20 a) LJCA: THE LEGITIMATION OF COUNCILORS OF ART. 63.2 b) LBRL. ITS JUSTIFICATION AND SCOPE. III. STC 173/2004, OF OCTOBER 18. A SURPRISING EXTENSION (AND «POLITIZATION») OF LEGITIMATE INTEREST. III.1. The underlying problem. III.2. The argumentation of the contentious court. III.3. The «easy» solution of the Constitutional Court against the underlying problem: the «invention» of a new legitimate interest. A. Conceptual details. B. A new legitimate interest. C. A broader legitimation based on an interest prior to its legal recognition (ex art. 63.1b) LBRL). IV. REVIEW. IV.1. The voluntas legis: the change in the wording of art. 63.1.b) LBRL compared to its predecessor, art. 9 L. 40/1981. IV.2. Is the expansionary interpretation of the exceptions of art. 20 LJCA? From «ex lege» legitimation to «ultra legem» legitimation. IV.3. A legitimate interest that is, really, an interest of legality. IV.4. The representative mandate and the conversion of «political legitimation» into «judicial legitimation». IV.5. Control by councilors is not the only control of legality over local acts and agreements. The state and regional challenge. V. CONCLUSIONS.