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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.
Customary Law
- English…
Communities composed of an indigenous people, [are] those that form a social, economic and cultural unity, living in a territory and that recognized their own authorities in accordance with their habits [usos] and customs.
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A. This Constitution recognizes and guarantees the right of indigenous peoples and communities to self-determination and, consequently, to the autonomy to:
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II. Apply their own normative systems in the regulation and solution of their internal conflicts, subject to the general principles of this Constitution, respecting individual guarantees, human rights and, in relevant manner, the dignity and integrity of women. The law will establish the cases and procedures of validation by the corresponding judges or courts.
III. Elect according to their traditional norms, procedures and practices, the authorities or representatives for the exercise of their own forms of internal government, guaranteeing that indigenous women and men will enjoy and will exercise their right to vote and to be voted for in conditions of equality; as well as to accede to and to hold the public offices [cargos] and [offices] of public election for those that have been elected or designated, in a framework [that] respects the federal pact, the sovereignty of the States and the autonomy of the City of Mexico. In no case may communitarian practices limit the political electoral rights of [masculine and feminine] citizens in the election of their municipal authorities.
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VIII. Accede fully to jurisdictions of the State. To guarantee this right, in all the trials and proceedings in which they are parties, individually or collectively, their cultural customs and specifications must be taken into account respecting the precepts of this Constitution. The indigenous peoples have at all times the right to be assisted by interpreters and defenders who have knowledge of their language and culture.
… (Art. 2) - Spanish…
Son comunidades integrantes de un pueblo indígena, aquellas que formen una unidad social, económica y cultural, asentadas en un territorio y que reconocen autoridades propias de acuerdo con sus usos y costumbres.
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A. Esta Constitución reconoce y garantiza el derecho de los pueblos y las comunidades indígenas a la libre determinación y, en consecuencia, a la autonomía para:
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II. Aplicar sus propios sistemas normativos en la regulación y solución de sus conflictos internos, sujetándose a los principios generales de esta Constitución, respetando las garantías individuales, los derechos humanos y, de manera relevante, la dignidad e integridad de las mujeres. La ley establecerá los casos y procedimientos de validación por los jueces o tribunales correspondientes.
III. Elegir de acuerdo con sus normas, procedimientos y practices tradicionales, a las autoridades o representantes para el ejercicio de sus formas propias de gobierno interno, garantizando que las mujeres y los hombres indígenas disfrutarán y ejercerán su derecho de votar y ser votados en condiciones de igualdad; así como a acceder y desempeñar los cargos públicos y de elección popular para los que hayan sido electos o designados, en un marco que respite el pacto federal, la soberanía de los Estados y la autonomía de la Ciudad de México. En ningún caso las prácticas comunitarias podrán limitar los derechos político-electorales de los y las ciudadanas en la elección de sus autoridades municipales.
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VIII. Acceder plenamente a la jurisdicción del Estado. Para garantizar ese derecho, en todos los juicios y procedimientos en que sean parte, individual o colectivamente, se deberán tomar en cuenta sus costumbres y especificidades culturales respetando los preceptos de esta Constitución. Los indígenas tienen en todo tiempo el derecho a ser asistidos por intérpretes y defensores que tengan conocimiento de su lengua y cultura.
… (Art. 2)
Customary Law
- English
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The Communities of the Caribbean Coast have the right to preserve and to develop their cultural identity within the national unity; to be granted their own forms of social organization, and to administer their local affairs in accordance with their traditions.
... (Art. 89) - Spanish
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Las comunidades de la Costa Caribe tienen el derecho de preservar y desarrollar su identidad cultural en la unidad nacional; dotarse de sus propias formas de organización social y administrar sus asuntos locales conforme a sus tradiciones.
… (Art. 89)
Customary Law
- English
The administration of justice guarantees the principle of legality; it protects [protege] and protects [tutela] the human rights, and guarantees the access to justice through the application of the law in the matters and processes of its competence.
The administration of justice recognizes citizen participation through the traditional leaders of the original Peoples of the Caribbean Coast and the Judicial Facilitators [Facilitadores Judiciales] in all the country, as alternative methods of access to justice and alternative resolution of conflicts, all in accordance with the law.
... (Art. 160) - Spanish
La administración de la justicia garantiza el principio de la legalidad; protege y tutela los derechos humanos, y garantiza el acceso a la justicia mediante la aplicación de la ley en los asuntos o procesos de su competencia.
La administración de justicia reconoce la participación ciudadana a través de los líderes tradicionales de los pueblos originarios de la Costa Caribe y los Facilitadores Judiciales en todo el país, como métodos alternos de acceso a la justicia y resolución alterna de conflictos, todo de conformidad con la ley.
… (Art. 160)
Customary Law
- English
The communities of the Caribbean Coast have the inalienable right to live and to develop themselves under the political-administrative, social and cultural form of organization that correspond to their historic and cultural traditions.
The members of the Autonomous Regional Councils will be elected by the People through universal, equal, direct, free and secret suffrage for a term [periodo] of five years, in accordance with the law.
The State guarantees to these communities the benefits of their natural resources, the effectiveness of their forms of community ownership and the free election of their authorities and representatives.
In the same way, it guarantees the preservation of their cultures and languages, religions and customs. (Art. 180) - Spanish
Las comunidades de la Costa Caribe tienen el derecho inalienable de vivir y desarrollarse bajo la forma de organización político-administrativa, social y cultural que corresponde a sus tradiciones históricas y culturales.
Los miembros de los Consejos Regionales Autónomos serán elegidos por el pueblo mediante el sufragio universal, igual, directo, libre y secreto por un período de cinco años, de conformidad con la ley.
El Estado garantiza a estas comunidades el disfrute de sus recursos naturales, la efectividad de sus formas de propiedad comunal y la libre elección de sus autoridades y representantes.
Asimismo, garantiza la preservación de sus culturas y lenguas, religiones y costumbres. (Art. 180)
Customary Law
- EnglishThe right of the indigenous peoples to preserve and to develop their ethnic identity in the respective habitat is recognized and guaranteed. They have the right, likewise, to freely apply their systems of political, social, economic, cultural, and religious organization, as well as the voluntarily subjection to their customary norms for the regulation of [their] internal coexistence [convivencia], as long as they do not infringe upon the fundamental rights established in this Constitution. Concerning conflicts of jurisdiction the indigenous customary right will be taken into account. (Art. 63)
- SpanishQueda reconocido y garantizado el derecho de los pueblos indígenas a preservar y a desarrollar su identidad étnica en el respectivo hábitat. Tienen derecho, asimismo, a aplicar libremente sus sistemas de organización política, social, económica, cultural y religiosa, al igual que la voluntaria sujeción a sus normas consuetudinarias para la regulación de la convivencia interior siempre que ellas no atenten contra los derechos fundamentales establecidos en esta Constitución. En los conflictos jurisdiccionales se tendrá en cuenta el derecho consuetudinario indígena. (Art. 63)
Customary Law
- English
Principles and rights of the jurisdictional function are:
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8. The principle to not fail [dejar] to administrate justice for lacuna [vacío] or deficiency in the law.
In such case, the general principles of law and customary law must be applied.
... (Art. 139) - Spanish
Son principios y derechos de la función jurisdiccional:
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8. El principio de no dejar de administrar justicia por vacío o deficiencia de la ley.
En tal caso, deben aplicarse los principios generales del derecho y el derecho consuetudinario.
… (Art. 139)
Customary Law
- English
The authorities of the Rural and Native Communities, with the support of the Rural Patrols, may exercise jurisdictional functions within their domain [ámbito] in accordance with customary law, provided they do not violate the fundamental rights of the person. The law establishes the forms of coordination of said special jurisdiction with Justices of the Peace and with other instances of the Judicial Power. (Art. 149)
- Spanish
Las autoridades de las Comunidades Campesinas y Nativas, con el apoyo de las Rondas Campesinas, pueden ejercer las funciones jurisdiccionales dentro de su ámbito territorial de conformidad con el derecho consuetudinario, siempre que no violen los derechos fundamentales de la persona. La ley establece las formas de coordinación de dicha jurisdicción especial con los Juzgados de Paz y con las demás instancias del Poder Judicial. (Art. 149)
Customary Law
- English(1) Subject to subsections (4), (5) and (7), no law shall make any provision that is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.
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(3) In this section the expression “discriminatory” means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin, birth out of wedlock, political opinions or affiliations, colour, sex or creed whereby persons of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another such description are not made subject or are accorded privileges or advantages that are not accorded to persons of another such description.
(4) Subsection (1) shall not apply to any law so far as that law makes provision
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(c) for the application, in the case of persons of any such description as is mentioned in subsection (3) (or of persons connected with such persons) of the law with respect to adoption, marriage, divorce, burial, devolution of property on death or other like matters that is the personal law of persons of that description;
… (Sec. 15)
Customary Law
- English(1) Subject to the provisions of subsections (4), (5) and (7), no law shall make any provision that is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.
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(3) In this section, the expression “discriminatory” means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by sex, race, place of origin, political opinions, colour or creed whereby persons of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another such description are not made subject or are accorded privileges or advantages which are not accorded to persons of another such description.
(4) Subsection (1) shall not apply to any law so far as that law makes provision—
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(c) for the application, in the case of persons of any such description as is mentioned in subsection (3) (or of persons connected with such persons), of the law with respect to adoption, marriage, divorce, burial, devolution of property on death or other like matters which is the personal law of persons of that description;
… (Sec. 13)
Customary Law
- English(1) Subject to the provisions of subsections (4), (5) and (7) of this section, no law shall make any provision that is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.
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(3) In this section, the expression “discriminatory” means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by sex, race, place of origin, political opinions, colour or creed whereby persons of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another such description are not made subject or are accorded privileges or advantages which are not accorded to persons of another such description.
(4) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to any law so far as that law makes provision-
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c. for the application, in the case of persons of any such description as is mentioned in subsection (3) of this section (or of persons connected with such persons), of the law with respect to adoption, marriage, divorce, burial, devolution of property on death or other like matters that is the personal law of persons of that description;
… (Sec. 13)