Council of State of Luxembourg
The Council of State is an institution in Luxembourg that advises the national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies as well as the Government. Until 1 January 1997, it was also the country's supreme administrative court, but this function was ceded to the newly created Administrative Tribunal and Administrative Court.
The Council of State was created by King-Grand Duke William III in the Coup of 1856. It was originally entirely appointed by the Grand Duke, but this was changed in 1866, and, despite the roll-back of many changes brought about by the coup, the Council of State has otherwise remained.
Composition
The Council of State is composed of twenty-one councillors, who are formally appointed by the Grand Duke upon nomination, in order, by the government, the Chamber of Deputies, and the Council of State itself. Of these, at least eleven must hold degrees in law. Neither number applies to the Hereditary Grand Duke, who may be appointed as an additional member of the Council. Membership is restricted to Luxembourgish nationals, who are resident in the Grand Duchy, are in possession of their full civil and political rights, and are at least 30 years old. The final restriction does not apply to the heir to the throne, who may be appointed upon being granted the title of Hereditary Grand Duke after turning 18 years old.Furthermore, the composition of the Council must, as best as possible, reflect the composition of the Chamber of Deputies, with candidates being proposed by parties that have obtained at least 3 seats in the two previous general elections. Since a 2016 reform, a relative gender balance must also be assured, with at least 7 councillors having to be women. This threshold was first reached in 2018, with the appointment of Véronique Stoffel, who was proposed by the ADR.