The proposal to establish an association of the world's supreme administrative jurisdictions received strong support at the congress of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) that was held in Madrid on 1 July 1980 with a view to strengthening the progress of the Rule of Law through exchanges of ideas and experience between members of these supreme jurisdictions and of jurisdictions of international organizations. It was immediatly agreed that, in order to avoid duplication of activities and in acknowledgement of the support received from the IIAS, the new Association would establish ties with the IIAS. This decision is also justified by the similarity existing between the work to be performed by the new association and that traditional performed by the IIAS. It is with this prospect in mind that the present Statutes have been prepared.

NAME

Article 1 - The subscribers to the present Statutes do hereby establish an association named :
"Association internationale des hautes juridictions administratives"
"International Association of Supreme Administrative Jurisdictions"

PURPOSE

Article 2 - The purpose of the International Association of Supreme Administrative Jurisdictions is to promote exchanges of views and experience on matters submitted to Member institutions, or on the organization and functioning of such institutions.
The latter comprise jurisdictions which, irrespective of their official title (for instance Council of State, Supreme Court, Administrative Tribunal, Administrative Division of Supreme Court, ...) are nevertheless empowered to adjudicate, in the final instance, in disputes arising from the action of public administrations.

SEAT

Article 3 - The seat of the Association shall be at Paris. The seat may be transferred by a two-third-majority decision of the general assembly.

MEANS OF ACTION

Article 4 - In order to achieve its purpose, the Association may initiate, promote or undertake studies on the matters defined in Article 2 hereof ; it may circulate or contribute to the circulation of information on the organization, functioning and jurisprudence of the jurisdictions mentioned in Article 2 to members of the Association and, where applicable, to all interested parties ; for purposes of mutual information, it shall promote contacts between the members of the judiciary of the aforesaid jurisdictions.
The Association may publish all documents relating to its activities. It shall be empowered to establish a Documentation Center for its members.
Its principle, every third year, or at intervals to be established by its administrative organs, it shall organize a Congress to consider matters falling within its terms of reference.

Article 5 - The Association shall comprise the jurisdictions mentioned in Article 2.

There shall only be one member for each state or each international organization.

In the general assembly, delegations of member jurisdictions shall only have one vote for each state or each international organization.

At congresses or general assemblies, the delegation of each state or international organization shall be composed of no more than (General Assembly of April 28th, 2004) "three" people.

Article 6 - The Association may admit to its congresses observers that are members or former members of institutions interested in its work.

Article 7 - The general assembly shall be composed of the delegations mentioned in Article 5; it shall meet on the occasion of the congresses referred to in Article 4. It shall elect from amongst its members the jurisdictions which shall constitute its Board of Directors. These jurisdictions shall be represented by one of their members or former members. The representative of each jurisdiction remains in charge until the following congress except he resigns or if the jurisdiction he represents informs the Secretary general if his replacement.

The general assembly nominates a Secretary general, a Treasurer and an Auditor. In case of vacancy of any of these posts, the Board referred to in Article 11 shall provide their replacement until the following congress.

Article 8 - The Association shall be administered by the Board.

The Board shall vote the annual budget. It may take any measure required for the functioning of the Association in the interval between general assemblies. It may apply for membership of the Association as a corporate member of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences; it may conclude with this Institute an agreement with a view to benefit from its support in relation to its administrative functioning or for the exchange of documentation.

The Board may delegate the day to day management of the Association to remunerated officials of the Association.

Article 9 - The Board shall comprise (General Assembly of April 28th, 2004) "a maximum of 30 members", including:
- the president;
- at least two vice-presidents.

Article 10 - The Secretary general is responsible for the day management of the Association under the authority of the President. He his also responsible for all personal matters. The Secretary general and the Treasurer shall attend the meetings of the Board with voting rights. The Secretary general is in charge of the Board.

Article 11 - The Board may delegate certain matters to a management committee composed of the President, three vice-presidents, the Secretary general and the Treasurer.

Article 12 - Membership of the Association shall be subject to the approval of the Board, which shall submit to the general assembly applications for membership which it has felt unable to approve.

Article 13 - The Board shall meet at least once a year and whenever convened by its President or upon the request of one-third of its members.

In case of a tie in the votes, the president's votes shall prevail.

The quorum of the Board shall be at least one-third of its members.

Minutes of all meetings shall be sent to all members of the Association.

Article 14 - The members of the Board shall receive no remuneration for the performance of their duties.

The expenses incurred by members of the Board who attend meetings shall not be refunded by the Association, with the exception, if necessary, of the personal insurance costs of participants.

Remunerated officials of the Association may be called upon by the President to attend meetings of the general assembly, the Board and the Management Committee, in a consultative capacity.

WORKING LANGUAGES

Article 15 - The working languages of the Association shall be English and French. All documents produced at the Association's expense shall be prepared in these languages.

RESOURCES OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 16 - The resources of the Association shall comprise:
- membership of contributions,
- such gifts and grants as may be made by members or by any public or private person or institution, after have been accepted by the Board.

Article 17 - The amounts of contributions shall be determined by each general assembly in accordance with a scale allocating states to one of three groups based on their differing capacities to contribute. International organizations shall be allocated to one of these groups by a decision of the Board.

Article 18 - All expenses incurred in the preparation, organization and functioning of the congresses of the Association, including the translation, printing and circulation of the reports of its proceedings, shall be borne by the country where the congress is held. (General assembly of April 28th, 2004) "However, the Association can assume, within the limits of an amount set by the Board, a proportion of the expenses arising from the organisation of a Congress".

REVISION OF THE STATUTES - DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 19 - The revision of the Statutes and the dissolution of the Association require a two-thirds majority vote of the general assembly ; the general assembly shall decide on the transfer of the Association's property and funds to a similar institution.

Article 20 - The Association shall be governed by French Law.

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