Previously, the Supreme Court had exercised jurisdiction over constitutional questions.
[2] In May 2015, the Constitutional Court was called to rule on the legality for a candidate to stand for a third term as president of Burundi.
The case occurred against the background of the widespread popular unrest against the government of Pierre Nkurunziza who had held the position since 2005.
The court's vice-president, Sylvere Nimpagaritse, fled into exile before the judgment was released, claiming that the government had applied pressure to the judges to decide in favour of three-term presidencies.
[4][5] Nkurunziza subsequently served for a third term and died in 2020 shortly after announcing that he would not stand for a fourth.