Constitution

Article I - Name

The name of this international organization, founded on August 29, 1909, in Budapest, is the International League Against Epilepsy (hereinafter called “the League”).

Article II - Reorganization

The League is reorganized as of September 1999, upon adoption of this Constitution.

Article III - Objectives

The objectives of the League are:

1. The advancement and dissemination throughout the world of knowledge concerning the epilepsies.
2. The encouragement of research concerning the epilepsies.
3. The promotion of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, advocacy and care for all persons suffering from these disorders.
4. The improvement of education and training in the field of the epilepsies.

Article IV - Methods

To that end, but without restriction, the main objectives of the League and insofar as the same shall be wholly charitable, the League shall:

1. Encourage the establishment and maintenance of national societies which will be the national members of the League (hereinafter designated “Chapters”).
2. Seek to establish and maintain effective cooperation with other international organizations active in the field of the medical sciences, public health, and social care, who are, or may become concerned with problems related to the epilepsies.
3. . Promote publications concerning the epilepsies and arrange for the publication of the journal of the League, EPILEPSIA, and other League educational and informational materials.
4. Organize or sponsor international congresses, symposia, or other meetings, in particular the International Congress of the League, to be held at the time and place as prescribed in the ByLaws.
5. Appoint special commissions or individuals for the purpose of studying specified problems related to the aims of the League and making recommendations for implementation of specific activities.
6. Develop and apply other methods consistent with the objectives of the League.

Article V - Legal Status

1. The League is an incorporated, non-profit international organization constituted in accordance with law.
2. The League is non-political and non-sectarian.
3. The location of the League’s Executive Office will be decided upon every four years by the Executive Committee.

Article VI - Membership

1. Membership in the League shall be by membership in national professional organizations composed of members who are professionals in the field of patient care or research in epilepsy and whose principal concern is with the problems of epilepsy.
   It is strongly urged that each member country develop both an ILAE and an IBE chapter. There must be valid reasons for exemptions from this recommendation which would result in a mixed professional and lay membership for a period of time and only professional members of a mixed organization constitute the basis of dues and votes and can serve as chapter delegates of ILAE. The minimum membership of a chapter is 9 professionals which is deemed to be the minimum number that would allow the required rotation of President, Secretary-General and Treasurer.
2. There shall be only one Chapter in each country. When there is more than one eligible organization in a country, the Executive Committee shall recommend for membership that organization which, in its opinion, can best accomplish the objectives of the League.
3. The Chapters shall be voted into the League upon the approval of the Executive Committee and two- thirds vote of approval by the General Assembly. Pending approval by the General Assembly, a national organization may be provisionally admitted to the League by decision of the Executive Committee which will entitle the national chapter to all rights of membership except the right of vote.
4. By applying for membership a national society agrees to fulfill all obligations of Chapters as stated in this Constitution and By-Laws. National Chapters are autonomous societies, but their Constitutions must not contain articles inconsistent with the Constitution of the League.
5. Membership becomes effective only when the applicant has sent to the Secretary-General a list of names and addresses of individual members and paid to the Treasurer the first annual dues.
6. The secretary of each chapter shall send to the Secretary-General of the League in January of each year an update of names and addresses of each of its members as of December 31 of the previous year.
7. A chapter may withdraw from membership by giving notice in writing to the Secretary-General.
8. On recommendation of the Executive Committee, membership may be terminated by the General Assembly with a two-thirds majority vote if the Chapter fails to pay its annual dues or if, for any other reason, it no longer fulfills the stated requirements for membership.

Article VII - Administration

The League shall be administered by the Executive Committee and the General Assembly.

Article VIII - The Executive Committee

1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the League, the President, Secretary-General and Treasurer of the International Bureau for Epilepsy, (hereinafter called the “Bureau”), the Editor-in-Chief of EPILEPSIA and the Information Officer. The President, Secretary-General and Treasurer of the Bureau and the designated Information Officer are non-voting members of the ILAE Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall conduct the affairs of the League subject to ratification by the General Assembly.
2. Eighteen months before the end of the Executive Committee’s current term, the President shall appoint an Elections Commission of five persons chaired by the Immediate Past President. The Commission is to conduct the elections procedures in two stages.

• The Elections Commission shall consider the criteria of geographic distribution when selecting candidates for election to the Executive Committee and proposing the slate of officers to the General Assembly: The elected officers shall be the President, Secretary-General, Treasurer, and two Vice Presidents.
• The geographic distribution of the slate of officers proposed to the General Assembly shall be restricted as follows: Each of the five elected officers must be primary members of different chapters. Primary membership is defined by the location of where professional activities are performed. No more than two members of the Management Committee shall come from the same region, as defined by the regional organization accepted within ILAE, and no more than three of the five elected officers shall come from the same region.
• The Elections Commission shall ascertain that all candidates have the support of their own Chapters, and are available and willing to serve.
• The Elections Commission shall request each Chapter to nominate one candidate for President irrespective of nationality or geography, and then the Elections Commission shall choose three candidates by a plurality of votes (preliminary voting by mail, e-mail, or fax ballot with multiple votes as specified to follow). Should two or more candidates receive equal votes, the Elections Commission has the final choice.
• After ascertaining the willingness of each candidate to serve, the Commission shall then submit the slate to each Chapter for voting by mail, e-mail or fax. Each Chapter has from 1-6 votes depending on the number of members in good standing. This mail, e-mail, or fax ballot represents the final voting process for the election of the President. In the case of a tie between two candidates, the third candidate would be dropped and a runoff held between the two tied candidates. In the case of a tie between three candidates, the Election Commission will select two candidates for the final runoff.
• Following completion of the Presidential Election, the Elections Commission shall request each Chapter to submit a slate of four names as candidates for elected officers. The Elections Commission shall choose a total of 12 candidates on the basis of preliminary voting by mail, e-mail, or fax with multiple votes as previously specified.
• Having received a letter of acceptance from each candidate, the Elections Commission shall then submit the slate to each Chapter for voting by mail, e-mail, or fax selecting again four names among the twelve candidates. Each Chapter has 1-6 votes depending on the number of members in good standing. If two or more candidates obtain the same number of votes either in the preliminary or final voting, the Elections Commission shall have the right to determine the final choice. The Elections Commission will, with the advice and consent of the President-Elect, appoint the Secretary-General, Treasurer, and two Vice Presidents from the newly elected slate which must be approved by the General Assembly.
• The Elections Commission shall be responsible for fully informing all Chapters about the nominating and elections process well in advance of the actual election. It shall also be responsible for policy that discourages inappropriate conduct for elections of a professional society.

3. The Editor-in-Chief of EPILEPSIA shall be responsible for editing EPILEPSIA in accordance with the general policies established by the Executive Committee. He shall be appointed by the Executive Committee, subject to ratification of the General Assembly. He shall vote except in matters pertaining to the journal, EPILEPSIA, and his appointment.
4. The Information Officer centrally collects all professionally relevant information on epilepsy and makes it available to professionals throughout the world. He publishes a Newsletter at least twice yearly.
5. The term of officers of the Executive Committee is the fiscal period which is four years. The President and the immediate past-President shall serve one term, the Vice-Presidents, the Secretary-General and Treasurer may be re-elected for one additional term. The Editor-in-Chief of EPILEPSIA and the Information Officer shall be appointed by the Executive Committee and may be reappointed for a maximum of three terms. Their appointment may be terminated at any time subject to ratification by the General Assembly. Should any vacancy in the Executive Committee occur it shall be filled by the Executive Committee subject to ratification by the General Assembly.
6. No person may occupy a seat on the Executive Committee for a period exceeding a maximum of sixteen years.
7. The Executive Committee may hold meetings at any time or in any place which may be convenient to its members; it may conduct its business by mail.
8. The Executive Committee shall have the power to formulate at any time By-Laws not in conflict with the Constitution, subject to ratification by the General Assembly.

Article IX - The General Assembly

1. The General Assembly shall be convened during each International Congress of the League. Its membership shall consist of the official delegate of each chapter who carries the total number of votes of that chapter.
2. The General Assembly shall receive and consider for vote of approval, the reports of the President, the Secretary-General, the Treasurer, the Editor-in- Chief of EPILEPSIA, and the chairmen of Committees and Commissions.
3. It shall vote on proposals submitted to it by the Executive Committee.
4. It shall approve the admission of new Chapters or the termination of membership of a Chapter (VI-3,7).
5. It shall approve the budget for the following fiscal period submitted by the Executive Committee, and shall set the annual contribution to be made by the Chapters.
6. Between meetings of the General Assembly, should urgent business arise requiring General Assembly action, this shall be carried out by mail as deter- mined by the Executive Committee.
7. It shall set the time and place of future Congresses, after recommendation by the Executive Committee.
8. Meetings of the General Assembly are open unless a number exceeding 10 percent of the delegates present requests the Chair to close the meeting to observers. Only delegates may speak and vote. Exceptionally the presiding officer with the approval of the General Assembly may invite a nondelegate to speak, but not to vote.

Article X - EPILEPSIA

1. The editorial Advisory Board of EPILEPSIA shall consist of the Executive Committee.
2. The Executive Committee shall appoint the Editor- in-Chief. The term of office for the Editor-in-Chief is 4 years and appointment expires automatically. The Editor-in-Chief may be reappointed though the maximum term is 12 years.
3. The Editorial Board shall consist of editors appointed by the Editor-in-Chief. The term of office of the editors is usually 4 years and appointment expires automatically. Any editor may be reappointed.
4. The Executive Committee shall approve all contracts related to the publication of EPILEPSIA.
5. All financial responsibilities of EPILEPSIA reside with the Treasurer and the Executive Committee of the League.

Article XI - Dues

1. Each Chapter shall pay to the League, before April I of each year, the annual dues which shall be proportional to the number of members as of December 31 of the previous year, and shall be fixed for each fiscal period by the General Assembly.
2. The League shall have the authority to accept and administer gifts, legacies, movable or immovable properties, donations, and assets of any kind with out any restrictions as to the amount or value.
3. The assets of the League shall be used to further the objectives of the League as authorized by the Executive Committee.
4. No portion of the assets of the League shall be paid directly or indirectly to any Officer or any member of the League or its Chapters except for payment of expenses made in the interest of the League.
5. Proper books of account shall be kept by the Treasurer, and they shall be certified by a qualified auditor at the end of each fiscal year.

Article XII - Special Commissions

1. Special commissions in unlimited number may be appointed by the President of the League as recommended by the Executive Committee. The President, Secretary-General and Treasurer of the League shall be ex officio members of each Special Commission.
2. No expenses shall be incurred by a Commission on behalf of the League without consent of the Executive Committee.
3. Annual budgets and financial reports of the Commissions must be approved by the Executive Committee.

Article XIII - International Bureau for Epilepsy

1. The International Bureau for Epilepsy (hereinafter called the “Bureau”) shall serve, for the League, as its agency for social aspects of the epilepsies and shall be a medium for contact with lay organizations devoted to these problems. The Bureau shall operate under the provisions of its own Constitution and ByLaws.
2. The President, the Secretary-General and the Treasurer of the League shall be ex officio non- voting members of the Bureau Executive Committee.
3. The President, the Secretary-General and the Treasurer of the Bureau shall be ex officio non- voting members of the Executive Committee of the League.

Article XIV - Dissolution or Amalgamation

1. The League may be dissolved or may amalgamate with another body having similar objectives on proposal of the Executive Committee, ratified by a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly.
2. In the event of dissolution, the assets of the League may not be divided among its members but shall be transferred to one or more other international organizations of similar interests, as agreed by the General Assembly.

Article XV - Amendments

The present Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly. Amendments may be initiated by the Executive Committee or by 25 percent of the Chapter Delegates. Such amendments must be submitted to the Secretary-General at least 90 days before the next General Assembly, and due notice of such amendments shall be given to all Chapters by the Secretary-General at least 60 days before the meeting of the General Assembly.