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Jurisdiction and Access
- English
1. The Council of Constitutional Inquiry shall have powers to investigate constitutional disputes. Should the Council, upon consideration of the matter, find it necessary to interpret the Constitution, it shall submit its recommendations thereon to the House of the Federation.
2. Where any Federal or State law is contested as being unconstitutional and such a dispute is submitted to it by any court or interested party, the Council shall consider the matter and submit it to the House of the Federation for a final decision.
3. When issues of constitutional interpretation arise in the courts, the Council shall:
a. Remand the case to the concerned court if it finds there is no need for constitutional interpretation; the interested party, if dissatisfied with the decision of the Council, may appeal to the House of the Federation.
b. Submit its recommendations to the House of the Federation for a final decision if it believes there is a need for constitutional interpretation.
… (Art. 84) - Amharic
1. የሕገ መንግሥት ጉዳዮች አጣሪ ጉባኤ ሕገ መንግሥታዊ ጉዳዮችን የማጣራት ሥልጣን ይኖረዋል፡፡ በሚያደርገው ማጣራት መሰረት ሕገ መንግሥቱ መተርጐም አስፈላጊ ሆኖ ሲያገኘው ለፌዴሬሽን ምክር ቤት በጉዳዩ ላይ የውሳኔ ሐሳብ ያቀርባል፡፡
2. በፌዴራሉ መንግሥትም ሆነ በክልል ሕግ አውጪ አካላት የሚወጡ ሕጐች ከዚህ ሕገ መንግሥት ጋር ይቃረናሉ የሚል ጥያቄ ሲነሳና ጉዳዩም በሚመለከተው ፍርድ ቤት ወይም በባለ ጉዳዩ ሲቀርብለት መርምሮ ለመጨረሻ ውሳኔ ለፌዴሬሽኑ ምክር ቤት ያቀርባል፡፡
3. በፍርድ ቤቶች የሕገ መንግሥት ትርጉም ጥያቄ ሲነሳ፣
ሀ/ ሕገ መንግሥቱን መተርጐም አስፈላጊ ሆኖ ሳያገኘው ሲቀር ጉዳዩን ለሚመለከተው ፍርድ ቤት ይመልሳል፤ በአጣሪ ጉባኤው ውሳኔ ቅር የተሰኘ ባለጉዳይ ቅሬታውን ለፌዴሬሽኑ ምክር ቤት በይግባኝ ማቅረብ ይችላል፡፡
ለ/ የትርጉም ጥያቄ መኖሩን ያመነበት እንደሆነ በጉዳዩ ላይ የሚሰጠውን ሕገ መንግሥታዊ ትርጉም ለፌዴሬሽኑ ምክር ቤት ለመጨረሻ ውሳኔ ያቀርባል፡፡
… (አንቀጽ 84)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe international engagements specified in Article 150 are deferred before ratification to the Constitutional Court, either by the President of the Republic, or by the President of the National Assembly or by one Deputy.
… (Art. 97) - FrenchLes engagements internationaux prévus à l'article 150 sont déférés avant ratification à la Cour constitutionnelle, soit par le président de la République, soit par le président de l'Assemblée nationale ou par un député.
… (Art. 97)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe Law Commission shall have the powers—
a. to review and make recommendations regarding any matter pertaining to the laws of Malawi and their conformity with this Constitution and applicable international law;
b. to review and make recommendations regarding any matter pertaining to this Constitution;
c. to receive any submissions from any person or body regarding the laws of Malawi or this Constitution; and
d. to report its findings and recommendations to the Minister for the time being responsible for Justice who shall publish any such report and lay it before Parliament. (Sec. 135)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English1. The President of the Republic may request the Constitutional Council to carry out an anticipatory evaluation of the constitutionality of any legal instrument sent to him for enactment.
… (Art. 245) - Portuguese1. O Presidente da República pode requerer ao Conselho Constitucional a apreciação preventiva da constitucionalidade de qualquer diploma que lhe tenha sido enviado para promulgação.
... (Art. 245)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishAuthentic interpretation of laws is done by the Supreme Court.
Authentic interpretation of laws may be requested by Cabinet or the Bar Association.
Any interested person may request for an authentic interpretation of a law through the Bar Association.
… (Art. 96) - KinyarwandaIsobanurampamo ry’amategeko rikorwa n’Urukiko rw’Ikirenga.
Iryo sobanurampamo rishobora gusabwa na Guverinoma cyangwa Urugaga rw’Abavoka.
Umuntu wese ubifitemo inyungu ashobora gusaba isobanurampamo abinyujije ku Rugaga rw’Abavoka.
… (Ingingo ya 96) - FrenchL’interprétation authentique des lois est faite par la Cour Suprême.
L’interprétation authentique peut être demandée par le Gouvernement ou par l’Ordre des Avocats.
Toute personne intéressée peut demander l’interprétation authentique de la loi par l’intermédiaire de l’Ordre des Avocats.
… (Art. 96)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
The Constitutional Court, at the demand of the President of the Republic or of any member of the National Assembly, decides on the constitutionality of the laws before their promulgation.
It decides[,] of office[,] on the constitutionality of the laws and any regulatory texts which would infringe the fundamental rights of the human person and the public freedoms. It decides more generally on the violations of the rights of the human person and its decision must intervene within a time period of eight days. (Art. 121) - French
La Cour constitutionnelle, à la demande du président de la République ou de tout membre de l'Assemblée nationale, se prononce sur la constitutionnalité des lois avant leur promulgation.
Elle se prononce d'office sur la constitutionnalité des lois et de tout texte réglementaire censés porter atteinte aux droits fondamentaux de la personne humaine et aux libertés publiques. Elle statue plus généralement sur les violations des droits de la personne humaine et sa décision doit intervenir dans un délai de huit jours. (Art. 121)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English...
(3) The Constitutional Court-
(a) is the highest court of the Republic; and
(b) may decide -
(i) constitutional matters; and
(ii) any other matter, if the Constitutional Court grants leave to appeal on the grounds that the matter raises an arguable point of law of general public importance which ought to be considered by that Court; and
(c) makes the final decision whether a matter is within its jurisdiction.
(4) Only the Constitutional Court may -
(a) decide disputes between organs of state in the national or provincial sphere concerning the constitutional status, powers or functions of any of those organs of state;
(b) decide on the constitutionality of any parliamentary or provincial Bill, but may do so only in the circumstances anticipated in section 79 or 121;
(c) decide applications envisaged in section 80 or 122;
(d) decide on the constitutionality of any amendment to the Constitution;
(e) decide that Parliament or the President has failed to fulfil a constitutional obligation; or
(f) certify a provincial constitution in terms of section 144.
(5) The Constitutional Court makes the final decision whether an Act of Parliament, a provincial Act or conduct of the President is constitutional, and must confirm any order of invalidity made by the Supreme Court of Appeal, the High Court of South Africa, or a court of similar status, before that order has any force.
(6) National legislation or the rules of the Constitutional Court must allow a person, when it is in the interests of justice and with leave of the Constitutional Court—
(a) to bring a matter directly to the Constitutional Court; or
(b) to appeal directly to the Constitutional Court from any other court.
(7) A constitutional matter includes any issue involving the interpretation, protection or enforcement of the Constitution. (Sec. 167)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English1. The Constitutional Court shall be the court that has the power, specifically, to administer Justice in matters of a legal and constitutional nature, particularly with respect to:
a) Review of the constitutionality and legality, under the terms of the Constitution;
b) Verification of death and declaration of disability, of impediment or of loss of office of the President of the Republic;
c) Jurisdiction on matters of elections and political party organizations, under the terms of the law;
d) Resolution of conflicts of jurisdiction, under the terms of the law;
e) Writs of amparo.
… (Art. 215) - Portuguese1. O Tribunal Constitucional é o tribunal ao qual compete, especificamente, administrar a Justiça em matérias de natureza jurídicoconstitucional, designadamente, no que se refere a:
a) Fiscalização da constitucionalidade e legalidade, nos termos da Constituição;
b) Verificação da morte e declaração de incapacidade, de impedimento ou de perda de cargo do Presidente da República;
c) Jurisdição em matéria de eleições e de organizações político-partidárias, nos termos da lei;
d) Resolução de conflitos de jurisdição, nos termos da lei;
e) Recurso de amparo.
… (Art. 215)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English(1) The High Court—
…
(c) may decide constitutional matters except those that only the Constitutional Court may decide;
… (Sec. 171)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe Constitutional Court is referred to [a matter] by the President of the Republic, by the President of the National Assembly, by the President of the Senate, the Prime Minister or by a third of the members of each Chamber of the Parliament. (Art. 178)
- FrenchLa Cour constitutionnelle est saisie par le Président de la République, le Président de l’Assemblée nationale, le Président du Sénat, le Premier ministre ou par un tiers des membres de chaque chambre du Parlement. (Art. 178)