certiorari is constitutionally consolidated (article 95 of the Constitution 1975/1986/2001) and places the Council at the top of the administrative branch of justice, because it has the last word in the legal aspects of every administrative litigation. the clerical recourse, with which disputes between the State and the civil servants are introduced into the Council. The decision of the Council includes a judgement both about the legality and upon the merits of the case. the appeal against the decisions of the Administrative Court of Appeals, which judges at first instance certain writs of annulment (according to the provisions of the Law 702/1977). In this case, the Council judges as a court of appeals and the Administrative Court of Appeals as a court of first instance. Acts of government Following the jurisprudence of the French Conseil d'État, the Council refuses to examine the legality of certain administrative acts, which are called "acts of government". The Council includes in this limited category: acts regulating the relationships between the executive branch and the Parliament, such as the dissolution of the Parliament or the act proclaiming a referendum. acts connected with the foreign policy of Greece, such as international conventions, acts promulgated for the application of international treaties, acts relevant to the diplomatic protection of Greek citizens abroad, etc. the declaration of mobilisation. the granting of pardons. Procedure The procedure is based on the principles of the "inquisitorial system" and of the initiative of the litigant. According to this last principle the litigant is responsible for the commencement of the procedure. International relations The Council of State is a founding member of the International Association of Supreme Administrative Courts and, since Greece’s accession to the European Union, of the Association of the Councils of State and Supreme Administrative Jurisdictions of the European Union. It also participates to the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe's advisory body on constitutional matters. Presidents Konstantinos Raktivan (1929–1935) Stamos Papafrangos (1935–1941) Panagiotis Triantafyllakos (1941–1943) Panagiotis Poulitsas (1943–1951), interim Prime Minister in April 1946 Sotirios Souliotis (1951–1961) Charilaos Mitrelias (1961–1966), Deputy Prime Minister in October–November 1973 Michail Stasinopoulos (1966–1969), interim President of the Republic in 1974–1975 Alexandros Dimitsas (1969–1974) Georgios Marangopoulos (1974–1976) Othon Kyriakos (1976–1977) Nikolaos Bouropoulos (1977–1981) Angelos Iatridis (1981–1983) Themistoklis Kourousopoulos (1983–1988) Vasileios Rotis (1988) Vasileios Botopoulos (1988–1999) Christos Geraris (1999–2005) Georgios Papangiotopoulos (2005–2010) Panagiotis Pikrammenos (2010–16 May 2012), interim Prime Minister in May–June 2012 Konstantinos Menoudakos (17