Legitimidad «activa» y legitimidad «pasiva» de los Tribunales Constitucionales en el espacio constitucional europeo

Like the ancient god Janus, legitimacy, a classical topic in political science, take a doublefaced appearance, when applied to contemporary Constitutional Courts. These judicial bodies are supposed to be «legitimate» both in a passive and in an active direction, that is, both as recipients and as providers of legitimacy, both qualities being interrelated. The crux of the judicial branch of government is that, on the basis of a growing demand for them to decide on highly sensible, if not existential matters, they may be incited to speak «from above» the institutional fabric in which they are embedded. With that in mind, a call is made for «repatriation» of constitutional adjudication.La legitimidad de los Tribunales Constitucionales adquiere renovada importancia en un momento en el que la demanda de justicia constitucional se proyecta sobre decisiones que afectan a la comunidad política, a veces de modo casi existencial. A partir de aquí podría encontrar justificación la distinción entre una vertiente pasiva y una vertiente activa de la legitimidad de dichos Tribunales. La relación dialéctica entre ambas formas de legitimidad, particularmente en la referida situación de protagonismo judicial, lleva a postular la idea de «repatriación» de una justicia constitucional tentada en ocasiones a hablar más «desde arriba» que «desde el propio interior» de la comunidad política.Like the ancient god Janus, legitimacy, a classical topic in political science, take a doublefaced appearance, when applied to contemporary Constitutional Courts. These judicial bodies are supposed to be «legitimate» both in a passive and in an active direction, that is, both as recipients and as providers of legitimacy, both qualities being interrelated. The crux of the judicial branch of government is that, on the basis of a growing demand for them to decide on highly sensible, if not existential matters, they may be incited to speak «from above» the institutional fabric in which they are embedded. With that in mind, a call is made for «repatriation» of constitutional adjudication