Résumé
Nowadays, the Constitutional Council is often seen as a “Time master”. This common presentation is not accurate because it hides the complexity of the relationship between the Council and Time. At the beginning, Time is a constraint to the Constitutional Council. No other Court in France is compelled to rule at such short notice: only a month when ruling a priori and three months a posteriori. The most impressive is nevertheless that the Council achieves the missions prescribed by the Constitution, although Time has consequences on the way they are executed. The constraint is then tamed but not overwhelmed, so that it impacts on Time as a resource. But Time can also be mastered by the Constitutional Council and so it is most frequently. It explains the Constitutional Council rules Time for the Parliament, the other judges and the citizens. The present study aims to underline such a polarized relationship.