Definition
Impeachment (Ro.: punere sub acuzare/ suspendare, De.: ~e Anklage/ ~e Absetzung, Fr .: mise en accusation, n.f./ destitution, n.f., Gr.:παραπομπή σε δίκη, Cz.: obžaloba z velezrady) (See also: witness impeachment, indictment) = a procedure which consists of bringing formal charges against a person provided with state authority, because of his or her illegal activity or misconduct.
In the U.S. this is a preliminary procedure in the attempt to judge and remove a public official and will not necessarily end with a conviction, while in the U.K. impeachment is an independent process. In Italy, Croatia, and the Czech Republic, the President can be impeached and the Constitutional Court has the final decision in his removal, while in Romania the final step in the impeachment process is the referendum.
Articles of ~ (Ro.: act de acuzare, De.: ~e Anklageschrift, Fr.: articles de la mise en accusation/ de destitution, n.m., Gr.: άρθρα του κατηγορητηρίου ) = a set of charges drafted by the state officials, before initiating the impeachment procedure
~ proceedings (Ro.: procedură de punere sub acuzare/ suspendare, Fr.: procédure de mise en accusation/ de destitution, n.f., Gr.: παραπεμπτική διαδικασία) = a series of legal steps and actions carried out prior to impeachment
~ trial (Ro.: proces de punere sub acuzare, De.: ~s Gerichtsverfahren, Fr.: procès, n.m./ instruction, n.f., de mise en accusation) = a formal process in which a person is accused of illegal activity or misconduct, the process resulting in civil punishment, criminal punishment, or removal from office
Useful links
Legislation
http://constitution.findlaw.com/article1/article.html - U.S. Constitution, Article 1 [English]
http://www.cdep.ro/pls/dic/site.page?den=act2_1&par1=3#t3c2s0a97 - Romanian Constitution, Article 96 [Romanian]
http://wwwext.comune.fi.it/costituzione/inglese.pdf - Italian Constitution [English]
http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?art=2405 - The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia [English]
Online Publications
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepresidentandcabinet/a/impeachment.htm - Longley, Robert, Impeachment: the unthinkable process
https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/how-does-the-impeachment-process-work - Yutzy, Carrie, How does the impeachment process work
https://www.nytimes.com/books/first/p/posner-affair.html - Posner, Richard A., An Affair of State. The Investigation, Impeachment, and Trial of President Clinton
http://www.politics.ox.ac.uk/materials/profile_materials/constitutional%20designs%20webpage.pdf - Parau, Cristina E., Constitutional Designs: Lessons We Can Learn from the Early American Republic
http://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2762&context=californialawreview – Stolz, Preble, Disciplining Federal Judges: Is impeachment hopeless, California Law Review
Publications
Bazan, Elizabeth B., Henning, Anna C., 2010, Impeachment: An Overview of Constitutional Provisions, Procedure, and Practice, Congressional Research Service, Diane Publishing
Berger, Raoul, 1974, Impeachment: The Constitutional Problems, US, Harvard University Press
Mauet, Thomas A., 2005, Trials: Strategy, Skills, and the New Power of Persuasion, New York, Aspen Publishers Online
Perez-Linan, Anibal, 2007, Presidential Impeachment and the New Political Instability in Latin America, New York, Cambridge University Press