The Venezuelan Supreme Court is not Entitled to Validate the Signatures of the Recall Referendum

The Venezuelan high court confirmed through a sentence that the article 72 of the Constitution does not establish the moment for the collection of signatures in the recall referendum process. The Supreme Court can only determine when the petition for a recall referendum can be submitted to the electoral body.

According to a press release published in the web page of the Supreme Court, the Judiciary power is not entitled to decide if the signatures are valid or not.

The press release stated that “The Supreme Tribunal of Justice confirms that has not made a decision and that is not entitled to make a decision regarding the time or the validity of the collection of signatures for a referendum. Neither can the high court determine the validity of the signatures. According to the laws that regulate its functions it is the electoral body’s work to decide in such issues”.

The press release also explains that the Supreme Court will not even analyze if the forms used to collect the signatures for El Firmazo fulfill the requirements established in the article 72 of the Constitution. On the magistrates’ opinion, to do so would “represent an intervention in the functions of another public power”.