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The Global Gender Equality Constitutional Database is a repository of gender equality related provisions in 194 constitutions from around the world. The Database was updated in partnership with the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and with support from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and the Government of Japan. Experience its wealth and depth of information by starting your search now.
Composition and Appointment
- English
(1) A person is qualified for appointment as a judge of the Constitutional Court if he or she is a Zimbabwean citizen, is at least forty years old and has a sound knowledge of constitutional law and, in addition, possesses one of the following qualifications—
(a) he or she has been a judge of a court with unlimited jurisdiction in civil or criminal matters in a country in which the common law is Roman-Dutch or English, and English is an officially recognised language; or
(b) for at least twelve years, whether continuously or not, he or she has been qualified to practise as a legal practitioner—
(i) in Zimbabwe; or
(ii) in a country in which the common law is Roman-Dutch or English and English is an officially recognised language;
and is currently so qualified to practise.
…
(2) To be appointed as a judge of the Constitutional Court a person must be a fit and proper person to hold office as a judge. (Sec. 177)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe Constitutional Court shall perform the following duties, in addition to those granted to it by the law:
1. To be the supreme body for interpreting the Constitution and international human rights treaties ratified by the Ecuadorian State by its rulings and judgments. Its decisions shall be binding.
2. To hear and resolve public claims of unconstitutionality, based either on substantive or procedural grounds, filed against general regulatory acts issued by authorities of the State. The declaration of unconstitutionality shall lead to invalidation of the challenged regulatory act.
3. To declare, by virtue of its office, unconstitutional those norms that are related, when in those cases submitted to its examination it concludes that one or various of them are contrary to the Constitution.
4. To hear and resolve, at the request of a party, claims of unconstitutionality against general administrative acts issued by all public authorities. The declaration of unconstitutionality shall lead to the invalidity of the challenged administrative act.
5. To hear and resolve, at the request of the party, claims of noncompliance that are filed to guarantee enforcement of general administrative regulations or acts, regardless of their nature or hierarchy, as well for enforcement of rulings or reports from international organizations for the protection of human rights that are not enforceable through regular judiciary channels.
6. To issue judgments that constitute binding case law with respect to actions of protection, enforcement, habeas corpus, habeas data, access to public information and other constitutional processes, as well as those cases selected by the Court for review.
7. To arbitrate conflicts of jurisdictions or attributions among the branches of government or bodies established by the Constitution.
8. To ensure, by virtue of its office and immediately, monitoring of the constitutionality of the declarations of state of emergency, when this involves the suspension of constitutional rights.
9. To hear and sanction failure to comply constitutional rulings and decisions.
10. To declare the unconstitutionality incurred by State institutions or public authorities that fail to observe, either totally or partially, the mandates contained in constitutional norms, within the time-limits set by the Constitution or within the time-limits deemed to be reasonable by the Constitutional Court. If this failure persists, after this time-limit has elapsed, the Court shall provisionally issue the regulation or enforce the observance, in accordance with the law. (Art. 436) - SpanishLa Corte Constitucional ejercerá, además de las que le confiera la ley, las siguientes atribuciones:
1. Ser la máxima instancia de interpretación de la Constitución, de los tratados internacionales de derechos humanos ratificados por el Estado ecuatoriano, a través de sus dictámenes y sentencias. Sus decisiones tendrán carácter vinculante.
2. Conocer y resolver las acciones públicas de inconstitucionalidad, por el fondo o por la forma, contra actos normativos de carácter general emitidos por órganos autoridades del Estado.
La declaratoria de inconstitucionalidad tendrá como efecto la invalidez del acto normativo impugnado.
3. Declarar de oficio la inconstitucionalidad de normas conexas, cuando en los casos sometidos a su conocimiento concluya que una o varias de ellas son contrarias a la Constitución.
4. Conocer y resolver, a petición de parte, la inconstitucionalidad contra los actos administrativos con efectos generales emitidos por toda autoridad pública. La declaratoria de inconstitucionalidad tendrá como efecto la invalidez del acto administrativo.
5. Conocer y resolver, a petición de parte, las acciones por incumplimiento que se presenten con la finalidad de garantizar la aplicación de normas o actos administrativos de carácter general, cualquiera que sea su naturaleza o jerarquía, así como para el cumplimiento de sentencias o informes de organismos internacionales de protección de derechos humanos que no sean ejecutables por las vías judiciales ordinarias.
6. Expedir sentencias que constituyan jurisprudencia vinculante respecto de las acciones de protección, cumplimiento, hábeas corpus, hábeas data, acceso a la información pública y demás procesos constitucionales, así como los casos seleccionados por la Corte para su revisión.
7. Dirimir conflictos de competencias o de atribuciones entre funciones del Estado u órganos establecidos en la Constitución.
8. Efectuar de oficio y de modo inmediato el control de constitucionalidad de las declaratorias de los estados de excepción, cuando impliquen la suspensión de derechos constitucionales.
9. Conocer y sancionar el incumplimiento de las sentencias y dictámenes constitucionales.
10. Declarar la inconstitucionalidad en que incurran las instituciones del Estado o autoridades públicas que por omisión inobserven, en forma total o parcial, los mandatos contenidos en normas constitucionales, dentro del plazo establecido en la Constitución o en el plazo considerado razonable por la Corte Constitucional. Si transcurrido el plazo la omisión persiste, la Corte, de manera provisional, expedirá la norma o ejecutará el acto omitido, de acuerdo con la ley. (Art. 436)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English…
If the Riigikogu, for the second time and without amending it, passes a law which has been returned to it by the President, the President either promulgates the law or applies to the Supreme Court for a declaration of unconstitutionality in respect of that law.
… (Sec. 107) - Estonian…
Kui Riigikogu võtab Vabariigi Presidendi poolt tagasi saadetud seaduse muutmata kujul uuesti vastu, kuulutab Vabariigi President seaduse välja või pöördub Riigikohtu poole ettepanekuga tunnistada seadus põhiseadusega vastuolus olevaks.
… (§ 107)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe President of the Republic promulgates the laws adopted by the Parliament within a time period of thirty days counting from the day of their transmission, if he does not formulate any demand of a second reading or [if he] has not referred [the matter] to the Constitutional Court for unconstitutionality.
…
Before promulgating the organic laws, the President of the Republic must have their conformity to the Constitution verified by the Constitutional Court.
… (Art. 202) - KirundiUmukuru w’igihugu ashira umukono akongera agatangaza ku mabwirizwa yashinzwe n’Inama nshingamateka n’Inama nkenguzamateka mu minsi mirongo itatu ikurikira umunsi yayarungikiweko kiretse asavye ko asubira kwihwezwa canke ngo asabe Sentare yubahiriza Ibwirizwa shingiro gusuzuma ko adaciye kubiri n’Ibwirizwa shingiro.
…
Imbere yo gutangaza amabwirizwa aringaniza, Umukuru w’igihugu ategerezwa gusaba Sentare yubahiriza Ibwirizwa shingiro gusuzuma ko ayo mabwirizwa adaciye kubiri n’Ibwirizwa shingiro.
… (Ingingo ya 202) - FrenchLe Président de la République promulgue les lois adoptées par le Parlement dans un délai de trente jours à compter du jour de leur transmission, s’il ne formule aucune demande de seconde lecture ou ne saisit la Cour Constitutionnelle en inconstitutionnalité.
…
Avant de promulguer les lois organiques, le Président de la République doit faire vérifier leur conformité à la Constitution par la Cour Constitutionnelle.
… (Art. 202)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English...
(4) Appeals shall lie from the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court—
(a) as of right in any case involving the interpretation or application of this Constitution;
(b) in any other case in which the Supreme Court, or the Court of Appeal, certifies that a matter of general public importance is involved, subject to clause (5).
… (Art. 163) - Swahili...
(4) Rufaa itakatwa kutoka Mahakama ya Rufaa kwenda Mahakama Kuu-
(a) kama ilivyo kwa haki katika kesi yoyote inayohusisha ufafanuzi au matumizi ya Katiba hii;
(b) katika kesi nyingine yoyote ambayo Mahakama Kuu, au Mahakama ya Rufaa, inathibitisha kwamba suala la umuhimu kwa umma linahusika, kwa kuzingatia ibara ya (5).
… (Kifungu cha 163)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishA constitutional law will develop the matters relative to [the recourse of] amparo, personal exhibition and the constitutionality of the laws. (Art. 276)
- SpanishUna ley constitucional desarrollará lo relativo al amparo, a la exhibición personal y a la constitucionalidad de las leyes. (Art. 276)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
The Constitutional Court shall rule on:
controversies on the constitutional legitimacy of laws and measures having force of law issued by the State and Regions;
conflicts of authority between central institutions, between State and Regions, and between Regions;
charges brought against the President of the Republic, according to the provisions of the Constitution. (Art. 134) - Italian
La Corte costituzionale giudica:
sulle controversie relative alla legittimità costituzionale delle leggi e degli atti, aventi forza di legge, dello Stato e delle Regioni;
sui conflitti di attribuzione tra i poteri dello Stato e su quelli tra lo Stato e le Regioni, e tra le Regioni;
sulle accuse promosse contro il Presidente della Repubblica, a norma della Costituzione. (Art. 134)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe Constitutional Court is the highest jurisdiction of the State in constitutional matters. It is given the charge:
– to judge the constitutionality of the organic and ordinary laws, already promulgated or simply voted, of the regulations as well as of the Internal Regulations of the National Assembly and of the Senate;
– to take cognizance of electoral disputes;
– to see to the regularity of the electoral consultations, [and] to examine and to proclaim the definitive results;
– to see to the regularity of the operations of [the] referendum, to examine the complaints and to proclaim the definitive results;
– to receive the oath of the President of the Republic elected;
– to determine the conflicts of competence within the executive power, between the legislative and executive powers and between the State and the territorial collectivities;
– to declare the errors [constater des défauts] of promulgation of the laws definitively voted and the lack of their promulgation in order to permit their entry into force;
– to interpret the Constitution;
– to give its opinion concerning the bills or proposals of constitutional revision and the procedure of [the] referendum;
– to receive the declarations of patrimony. (Art. 95) - FrenchLa Cour Constitutionnelle est la plus haute juridiction de l'Etat en matière constitutionnelle. Elle est chargée de:
- juger de la constitutionnalité des lois organiques et ordinaires, déjà promulguées ou simplement votées, des règlements, ainsi que des Règlements Intérieurs de l'Assemblée Nationale et du Sénat;
- connaître du contentieux électoral;
- veiller à la régularité des consultations électorales, examiner les réclamations et proclamer les résultats définitifs;
- veiller à la régularité des opérations référendaires, examiner les réclamations et proclamer les résultats définitifs;
- recevoir le serment du Président de la République élu;
- trancher les conflits de compétence au sein du pouvoir exécutif, entre les pouvoirs législatif et exécutif, et entre l'État et les collectivités territoriales;
- constater les défauts de promulgation des lois définitivement votées et la carence de leur promulgation afin de permettre leur entrée en vigueur;
- interpréter la Constitution;
- donner son avis sur les projets ou propositions de révision constitutionnelle et la procédure référendaire;
- recevoir les déclarations de patrimoine. (Art. 95)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe Constitutional Court decides obligatorily on:
– the constitutionality of the organic laws and of the laws before their promulgation;
– the internal regulations of the National Assembly, of the High Council of the Collectivities and of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council before their entry into application as to their conformity with the Constitution;
– the conflicts of attribution between the institutions of the State;
– the regularity of the presidential elections, legislative [elections] and the operations of [the] referendum of which it proclaims the results. (Art. 86) - FrenchLa Cour Constitutionnelle statue obligatoirement sur :
• la constitutionnalité des lois organiques et des lois avant leur promulgation;
• les règlements intérieurs de l'Assemblée Nationale, du Haut Conseil des Collectivités et du Conseil Economique, Social et Culturel avant leur mise en application quant à leur conformité à la Constitution;
• les conflits d'attribution entre les institutions de l'Etat;
• la régularité des sélections présidentielles, législatives et des opérations de référendum dont elle proclame les résultats. (Art. 86)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
The Recourse of Unconstitutionality is established against any law, decree or regulation that is opposed to that provided for by the Political Constitution, [and] may be interposed by any citizen. (Art. 187)
- Spanish
Se establece el Recurso por Inconstitucionalidad contra toda ley, decreto o reglamento que se oponga a lo prescrito por la Constitución Política, el cual podrá ser interpuesto por cualquier ciudadano. (Art. 187)