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The Supreme Constitutional Court ruled Monday that a 2025 law requiring the installation of countdown timers at traffic lights equipped with photo-enforcement cameras is unconstitutional, citing a violation of fiscal policy provisions and executive authority.
The law, passed by the House of Representatives in March 2025, mandated timers to show the remaining seconds of green, amber, and red lights at intersections with red-light cameras. The Court found the measure, a private members’ bill, would impose additional costs on the state budget, contrary to Article 80.2 of the Constitution, which prohibits such bills from creating new expenditures.
The ruling follows a formal referral by the President, who raised constitutional concerns on the advice of the Attorney General. The Court agreed, stating the law also violates Article 179 and infringes upon the principle of Separation of Powers by imposing operational obligations on the Executive.
“The obligation to install countdown timers entails new equipment, software upgrades, and infrastructure modifications, expenses that clearly impact the budget,” the Court said. It rejected Parliament's claim that the law would not increase spending, ruling that its implementation left no room for executive discretion.
The legislation also stipulated that enforcement of red-light violations would be suspended if countdown timers were not operational within six months of the law’s activation. The Court deemed this an “intrusion” into executive responsibilities.
The decision has been forwarded to both the President and Parliament under Article 140.2 of the Constitution, effectively nullifying the law.
