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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.
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
The Constitutional Court is referred [to a matter] by the President of the Republic, the President of the Council of the Nation, the President of the National People's Assembly or by the Prime Minister or the Head of the Government, according to the case.
It may equally be referred [to a matter] by forty (40) Deputies or twenty-five (25) members of the Council of the Nation.
The exercise of the referral enunciated in the two preceding paragraphs does not extend to the referral [to a matter] in a pleading [exception] of unconstitutionality enunciated in Article 195 below. (Art. 193) - Arabic
تخطر المحكمة الدستورية من رئيس الجمهورية أو رئيس مجلس األمة أو رئيس المجلس الشعبي الوطني أو من الوزير األول أو رئيس الحكومة، حسب الحالة.
يمكن إخطارها كذلك من أربعين (40) نائبا أو خمسة وعشرين (25) عضوا في مجلس األمة.
ال تمتد ممارسة اإلخطار المبين في الفقرتين األولى والثانية إلى اإلخطار بالدفع بعدم الدستورية المبّين في المادة 195 أدناه. (المــادة 193) - French
La Cour constitutionnelle est saisie par le Président de la République, le Président du Conseil de la Nation, le Président de l’Assemblée Populaire Nationale ou par le Premier ministre ou le Chef du Gouvernement, selon le cas.
Elle peut être également saisie par quarante (40) députés ou vingt-cinq (25) membres du Conseil de la Nation.
L’exercice de la saisine énoncée aux deux alinéas précédents ne s’étend pas à la saisine en exception d’inconstitutionnalité énoncée à l’article 195 ci-dessous. (Art. 193)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English1. Subject to the provisions of sections 25(2), 47(8)(b), 56(4), 65(5), 123(7)(b) and 124 of this Constitution, any person who alleges that any provision of this Constitution (other than a provision of Chapter II3) has been or is being contravened may, if he has a relevant interest, apply to the High Court for a declaration and for relief under this section.
2. The High Court shall have jurisdiction on an application made under this section to determine whether any provision of this Constitution (other than a provision of Chapter II) has been or is being contravened and to make a declaration accordingly.
3. Where the High Court makes a declaration under this section that a provision of this Constitution has been or is being contravened and the person on whose application the declaration is made has also applied for relief, the High Court may grant to that person such remedy as it considers appropriate, being a remedy available generally under any law in proceedings in the High Court.
4. The Chief Justice may make provision, or authorise the making of provision, with respect to the practice and procedure of the High Court in relation to the jurisdiction and powers conferred on the court by or under this section, including provision with respect to the time within which any application under this section may be made.
5. A person shall be regarded as having a relevant interest for the purpose of an application under this section only if the contravention of this Constitution alleged by him is such as to affect his interests.
6. The rights conferred on a person by this section to apply for a declaration and relief in respect of an alleged contravention of this Constitution shall be in addition to any other action in respect of the same matter that may be available to that person under any other law or any rule of law.
7. Nothing in this section shall confer jurisdiction on the High Court to hear or determine any such question as is referred to in section 44 of this Constitution. (Sec. 119)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English(1) The Constitutional Court shall:
1. provide binding interpretations of the Constitution;
2. rule on constitutionality of the laws and other acts passed by the National Assembly and the acts of the President;
3. rule on competence disputes between the National Assembly, the President and the Council of Ministers, and between the bodies of local self-government and the central executive branch of government;
4. rule on the compatibility between the Constitution and the international treaties concluded by the Republic of Bulgaria prior to their ratification, and on the compatibility of domestic laws with the universally recognized norms of international law and the international treaties to which Bulgaria is a party;
5. rule on challenges to the constitutionality of political parties and associations;
6. rule on challenges to the legality of the election of the President and Vice President;
7. rule on challenges to the legality of an election of a Member of the National Assembly;
8. rule on impeachments by the National Assembly against the President or the Vice President.
(2) No authority of the Constitutional Court shall be vested or suspended by law. (Art. 149) - Bulgarian(1) Конституционният съд:
1. дава задължителни тълкувания на Конституцията;
2. произнася се по искане за установяване на противоконституционност на законите и нɚ другите актове на Народното събрание, както и на актовете на президента;
3. решава спорове за компетентност между Народното събрание, президента ɢ Министерския съвет, както и между органите на местно самоуправление и централнитɟ изпълнителни органи;
4. произнася се за съответствието на сключените от Република България международнɢ договори с Конституцията преди ратификацията им, както и за съответствие на законите ɫ общопризнатите норми на международното право и с международните договори, по които Българиɹ е страна;
5. произнася се по спорове за конституционността на политическите партии и сдружения;
6. произнася се по спорове за законността на избора за президент и вицепрезидент;
7. произнася се по спорове за законността на избора на народен представител;
8. произнася се по обвинения, повдигнати от Народното събрание срещу президента ɢ вицепрезидента.
(2) Със закон не могат да се дават или отнемат правомощия на Конституционния съд. (Чл. 149)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishAn appeal shall lie as of right to the Court of Appeal from any decision of the High Court which involves the interpretation of this Constitution, other than a decision of the High Court under section 69(1) of this Constitution:
Provided that no appeal shall lie from a determination of the High Court under this section dismissing an application on the ground that it is frivolous or vexatious. (Sec. 106)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe Supreme Federal Tribunal has primary responsibility for safeguarding the Constitution, with the power:
I. to try and to decide, as matters of original jurisdiction:
a. direct actions of unconstitutionality of federal or state normative acts or declaratory actions of constitutionality of federal laws or normative acts;
b. charges of common criminal offenses against the President of the Republic, the Vice-President, members of the National Congress, the Tribunal's own Ministers, and the Procurator-General of the Republic;
c. charges of common criminal offenses and impeachable offenses against Ministers of the Federal Government and the Commanders of the Navy, the Army and the Air Force, except for the provision of art. 52, I, members of the Superior Tribunals and the Tribunal of Accounts of the Union, and chiefs of permanent diplomatic missions;
d. habeas corpus when the constrained party is any of the persons referred to in the preceding subsections; writs of security and habeas data against acts of the President of the Republic, Executive Committees of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate, Tribunal of Accounts of the Union, Procurator-General of the Republic, and the Supreme Federal Tribunal itself;
e. litigation between a foreign State or international organization and the Union, State, Federal District or Territory;
f. cases and conflicts between the Union and States, the Union and Federal District, or between one another, including their respective entities of indirect administration;
g. extradition requests from foreign States;
h. revoked;
i. habeas corpus, when the constraining party is a Superior Tribunal or when the constraining party or the constrained party is an authority or functionary whose acts are directly subject to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Federal Tribunal, or in the case of a crime subject to the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Federal Tribunal;
j. criminal revisions and rescissory actions from its own decisions;
k. [there is no subsection k];
l. claims to preserve its jurisdiction and to guarantee the authority of its decisions;
m. execution of a judgment in cases within its original jurisdiction, it being allowed to delegate the power to perform procedural acts;
n. actions in which all members of the Judiciary have a direct or indirect interest, and those in which more than half the members of the tribunal of origin are disqualified or have a direct or indirect interest;
o. conflicts of jurisdiction between the Superior Tribunal of Justice and any other tribunals, between Superior Tribunals, or between the latter and any other tribunal;
p. requests for a provisional remedy in direct actions of unconstitutionality;
q. mandates of injunction, when drawing up the regulatory rule is the responsibility of the President of the Republic, National Congress, Chamber of Deputies, Federal Senate, Executive Committees of one of these Legislative Chambers, the Tribunal of Accounts of the Union, one of the Superior Tribunals or the Supreme Federal Tribunal itself;
r. actions against the National Council of Justice and against the National Council of the Public Ministry;
II. to decide, on ordinary appeal:
a. if denied, habeas corpus, writs of security, habeas data and mandates of injunction decided originally by the Superior Tribunals;
b. political crimes;
III. to decide on extraordinary appeal, cases decided in sole or last instance, when the appealed decision:
a. is contrary to a provision of this Constitution;
b. declares a treaty or a federal law unconstitutional;
c. upholds a law or act of local government challenged as violative of this Constitution;
d. upholds a local law challenged as contrary to federal law.
§1°. Allegation of disobedience of a fundamental precept stemming from this Constitution shall be heard by the Supreme Federal Tribunal, as provided by law.
… (Art. 102) - PortugueseCompete ao Supremo Tribunal Federal, precipuamente, a guarda da Constituição, cabendo-lhe:
I - processar e julgar, originariamente:
a) a ação direta de inconstitucionalidade de lei ou ato normativo federal ou estadual e a ação declaratória de constitucionalidade de lei ou ato normativo federal;
b) nas infrações penais comuns, o Presidente da República, o Vice-Presidente, os membros do Congresso Nacional, seus próprios Ministros e o Procurador-Geral da República;
c) nas infrações penais comuns e nos crimes de responsabilidade, os Ministros de Estado e os Comandantes da Marinha, do Exército e da Aeronáutica, ressalvado o disposto no art. 52, I, os membros dos Tribunais Superiores, os do Tribunal de Contas da União e os chefes de missão diplomática de caráter permanente;
d) o habeas corpus, sendo paciente qualquer das pessoas referidas nas alíneas anteriores; o mandado de segurança e o habeas data contra atos do Presidente da República, das Mesas da Câmara dos Deputados e do Senado Federal, do Tribunal de Contas da União, do Procurador-Geral da República e do próprio Supremo Tribunal Federal;
e) o litígio entre Estado estrangeiro ou organismo internacional e a União, o Estado, o Distrito Federal ou o Território;
f) as causas e os conflitos entre a União e os Estados, a União e o Distrito Federal, ou entre uns e outros, inclusive as respectivas entidades da administração indireta;
g) a extradição solicitada por Estado estrangeiro;
h) (Revogado pela Emenda Constitucional nº 45, de 2004)
i) o habeas corpus, quando o coator for Tribunal Superior ou quando o coator ou o paciente for autoridade ou funcionário cujos atos estejam sujeitos diretamente à jurisdição do Supremo Tribunal Federal, ou se trate de crime sujeito à mesma jurisdição em uma única instância;
j) a revisão criminal e a ação rescisória de seus julgados;
l) a reclamação para a preservação de sua competência e garantia da autoridade de suas decisões;
m) a execução de sentença nas causas de sua competência originária, facultada a delegação de atribuições para a prática de atos processuais;
n) a ação em que todos os membros da magistratura sejam direta ou indiretamente interessados, e aquela em que mais da metade dos membros do tribunal de origem estejam impedidos ou sejam direta ou indiretamente interessados;
o) os conflitos de competência entre o Superior Tribunal de Justiça e quaisquer tribunais, entre Tribunais Superiores, ou entre estes e qualquer outro tribunal;
p) o pedido de medida cautelar das ações diretas de inconstitucionalidade;
q) o mandado de injunção, quando a elaboração da norma regulamentadora for atribuição do Presidente da República, do Congresso Nacional, da Câmara dos Deputados, do Senado Federal, das Mesas de uma dessas Casas Legislativas, do Tribunal de Contas da União, de um dos Tribunais Superiores, ou do próprio Supremo Tribunal Federal;
r) as ações contra o Conselho Nacional de Justiça e contra o Conselho Nacional do Ministério Público;
II - julgar, em recurso ordinário:
a) o habeas corpus, o mandado de segurança, o habeas data e o mandado de injunção decididos em única instância pelos Tribunais Superiores, se denegatória a decisão;
b) o crime político;
III - julgar, mediante recurso extraordinário, as causas decididas em única ou última instância, quando a decisão recorrida:
a) contrariar dispositivo desta Constituição;
b) declarar a inconstitucionalidade de tratado ou lei federal;
c) julgar válida lei ou ato de governo local contestado em face desta Constituição.
d) julgar válida lei local contestada em face de lei federal.
§ 1.º A argüição de descumprimento de preceito fundamental, decorrente desta Constituição, será apreciada pelo Supremo Tribunal Federal, na forma da lei.
… (Art. 102)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishInstitutional Acts, before their promulgation, Private Members’ Bills mentioned in article 11 before they are submitted to referendum, and the rules of procedure of the Houses of Parliament shall, before coming into force, be referred to the Constitutional Council, which shall rule on their conformity with the Constitution.
To the same end, Acts of Parliament may be referred to the Constitutional Council, before their promulgation, by the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the President of the National Assembly, the President of the Senate, sixty Members of the National Assembly or sixty Senators.
… (1958 Constitution, Art. 61) - FrenchLes lois organiques, avant leur promulgation, les propositions de loi mentionnées à l'article 11 avant qu'elles ne soient soumises au référendum, et les règlements des assemblées parlementaires, avant leur mise en application, doivent être soumis au Conseil constitutionnel qui se prononce sur leur conformité à la Constitution.
Aux mêmes fins, les lois peuvent être déférées au Conseil constitutionnel, avant leur promulgation, par le Président de la République, le Premier ministre, le président de l'Assemblée nationale, le président du Sénat ou soixante députés ou soixante sénateurs.
… (Constitution 1958, Art. 61)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English…
(2) Without derogating from the generality of subsection (1) the High Court has jurisdiction -
(a) to enforce the fundamental human rights and freedoms guaranteed by this Constitution; and
(b) to hear and determine any matter of a constitutional nature.
… (Sec. 151)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English1. Court decisions shall be subject to appeal to the Constitutional Court whenever:
a) The courts refuse, on the grounds of unconstitutionality, to apply any rule or resolution of a content that is material and normative or specific and concrete;
b) They apply rules or resolutions of a content that is material and normative or specific and concrete, whose unconstitutionality has been challenged in the proceedings;
c) They apply rules or resolutions of a content that is material and normative or specific and concrete, which have previously been considered unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court itself.
2. Decisions shall also be subject to appeal to the Constitutional Court whenever:
a) They apply resolutions of a content that is material and normative or specific and concrete, which have previously been considered illegal by the Constitutional Court or whose illegality has been challenged in the proceedings.
b) They refuse to apply, on the grounds of illegality, the resolutions referred to in the preceding subparagraph. (Art. 281) - Portuguese1. Cabe recurso para o Tribunal Constitucional, das decisões dos Tribunais que:
a) Recusem, com fundamento em inconstitucionalidade, a aplicação de qualquer norma ou resolução de conteúdo material normativo ou individual e concreto;
b) Apliquem normas ou resoluções de conteúdo material normativo ou individual e concreto cuja inconstitucionalidade haja sido suscitada no processo;
c) Apliquem normas ou resoluções de conteúdo material normativo ou individual e concreto que tenham sido anteriormente julgadas inconstitucionais pelo próprio Tribunal Constitucional.
2. Cabe, ainda, recurso para o Tribunal Constitucional das decisões que:
a) Apliquem resoluções de conteúdo material normativo ou individual e concreto que tenham sido julgadas anteriormente ilegais pelo próprio Tribunal Constitucional ou cuja ilegalidade haja sido suscitada no processo;
b) Recusem aplicar, com fundamento em ilegalidade, as resoluções referidas na alínea anterior. (Art. 281)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
(1) The Constitutional Court decides, by means of [an] order [arret], on the conformity of laws with the Constitution.
(2) The Constitutional Court may be referred to [a matter], under title of preliminary opinion [titre prejudiciel], following the modalities to be determined by the law, by any jurisdiction to decide on the conformity of the laws, with the exception of the laws concerning approval of treaties, with the Constitution.
(3) The Constitutional Court will regulate the disputes of attribution according to the mode determined by the law.
(4) The attributions of the Constitutional Court may be extended by a law voted by a qualified majority gathering at least two-thirds of the votes of the members of the chamber of deputies, the vote by proxy not being admitted.
... (Art. 112)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe Constitutional Court is the competent jurisdiction in constitutional, [and] electoral matters and in [matters] of the fundamental rights and freedoms. It judges the constitutionality of the laws, [and] of the ordinances as well as the conformity of the international treaties and agreements to the Constitution.
It guarantees the exercise of the fundamental rights of the human person and of the public freedoms.
It sees to the regularity of the national elections and of the referendums of which [dont] it proclaims the definitive results.
It is the regulatory organ of the functioning and of the activities of the legislative and executive Powers and of the other organs of the State. (Art. 93) - FrenchLa Cour constitutionnelle est la juridiction compétente en matière constitutionnelle, électorale et des droits et libertés fondamentaux. Elle juge de la constitutionnalité des lois, des ordonnances ainsi que de la conformité des traités et accords internationaux à la Constitution.
Elle garantit l'exercice des droits fondamentaux de la personne humaine et des libertés publiques.
Elle veille à la régularité des élections nationales et des référendums dont elle proclame les résultats définitifs.
Elle est l'organe régulateur du fonctionnement et des activités des pouvoirs législatif et exécutif et des autres organes de l'État. (Art. 93)