SANTO DOMINGO.- The Revisory Assembly last night created the Constitutional Court, whose attributes include the guarantee of the Constitution’s supremacy, defend the constitutional order and protect fundamental rights.

The assembly members voted in adherence to the agreement between the presidents of the ruling PLD party, Leonel Fernandez and of the opposition PRD Miguel Vargas on the new organism, rejecting the verification commission’s report. It’s decisions are irrevocable and binding precedents for all branches of Government. It will also have administrative and budgetary autonomy.

The Constitutional Court’s jurisdiction is to hear direct challenges on constitutional grounds against the laws, decrees, regulations, resolutions and ordinances, at the request of the President, a third part of the members of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies or any person with legitimate interest and legally based.

The Court will also hear the preventive control of international treaties before ratification by the legislative organ, the conflicts between the public powers, at the request of one of its directors.

The Constitutional Court will have 13 members and its decisions will be adopted with a majority of nine or more of its members. The judges who cast a dissident vote will be able to base their motivations for their decision.