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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.
ABOUT 187 RESULTS
Jurisdiction and Access
Malawi
- English1. Appropriate principles of interpretation of this Constitution shall be developed and employed by the courts to reflect the unique character and supreme status of this Constitution.
2. In interpreting the provisions of this Constitution a court of law shall—
a. promote the values which underlie an open and democratic society;
b. take full account of the provisions of Chapter III and Chapter IV2; and
c. where applicable, have regard to current norms of public international law and comparable foreign case law.
3. Where a court of law declares an act of executive or a law to be invalid, that court may apply such interpretation of that act or law as is consistent with this Constitution.
4. Any law that ousts or purports to oust the jurisdiction of the courts to entertain matters pertaining to this Constitution shall be invalid. (Sec. 11)
Jurisdiction and Access
Mozambique
- English1. The Constitutional Council is competent:
a. to evaluate [apreciar] and to declare the unconstitutionality of the laws and the illegality of the normative acts of the organs of the State;
b. to settle conflicts of competence between the organs of sovereignty;
c. to previously verify the constitutionality of the referenda;
d. to evaluate and to deliberate concerning the dismissal of the Governor of [a] Province and of the Administrator of [a] District, by the President of the Republic;
e. to evaluate and to deliberate concerning the dissolution of the provincial, district and autarchic assemblies, by the Council of Ministers.
2. It belongs also to the Constitutional Council:
a. to verify the legal requisites required for the candidatures to President of the Republic;
b. to declare the permanent incapacity of the President of the Republic;
c. to verify the death and the loss of the mandate of the President of the Republic;
d. to evaluate in last instance, the electoral recourses and complaints, to validate
and to proclaim electoral results in the terms of the law;
e. to decide, in last instance, the legality of the constitution of the political parties and their coalitions, as well as to evaluate the legality of their denominations, acronyms, symbols, and to order the respective extinction in the terms of the Constitution and of the law;
f. to judge the actions of impugning of the elections and of deliberation of the organs of the political parties;
g. to judge the actions that have for [their] object disputes relative to the mandate of the Deputies;
h. to judge the actions that have for [their] object the incompatibilities provided for in the Constitution and in the law.
3. The Constitutional Council exercises the other competences that are attributed to it by law. (Art. 243) - Portuguese1. Compete ao Conselho Constitucional:
a) apreciar e declarar a inconstitucionalidade das leis e a ilegalidade dos actos normativos dos órgãos do Estado;
b) dirimir conflitos de competências entre os órgãos de soberania;
c) verificar previamente a constitucionalidade dos referendos;
d) apreciar e deliberar sobre a demissão do Governador de Província e do Administrador de Distrito, pelo Presidente da República;
e) apreciar e deliberar sobre a dissolução das assembleias provinciais, distritais e autárquicas, pelo Conselho de Ministros.
2. Cabe ainda ao Conselho Constitucional:
a) verificar os requisitos legais exigidos para as candidaturas a Presidente da República;
b) declarar a incapacidade permanente do Presidente da República;
c) verificar a morte e a perda de mandato do Presidente da República;
d) apreciar em última instância, os recursos e as reclamações eleitorais, validar e proclamar os resultados eleitorais nos termos da lei;
e) decidir, em última instância, a legalidade da constituição dos partidos políticos e suas coligações, bem como apreciar a legalidade das suas denominações, siglas, símbolos e ordenar a respectiva extinção nos termos da Constituição e da lei;
f) julgar as acções de impugnação de eleições e de deliberação dos órgãos dos partidos políticos;
g) julgar as acções que tenham por objecto o contencioso relativo ao mandato dos deputados;
h) julgar as acções que tenham por objecto as incompatibilidades previstas na Constituição e na lei.
3. O Conselho Constitucional exerce as demais competências que lhe sejam atribuídas por lei. (Art. 243)
Jurisdiction and Access
Nigeria
- English(1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Constitution and in addition to such other jurisdiction as may be conferred upon it by an Act of the National Assembly, the Federal High Court shall have and exercise jurisdiction to the exclusion of any other court in civil causes and matters –
…
(q) subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the operation and interpretation of this Constitution in so far as it affects the Federal Government or any of its agencies;
… (Sec. 251)
Jurisdiction and Access
Benin
- English
…
- the organic laws may only be promulgated after declaration by the Constitutional Court of their conformity with the Constitution. (Art. 97) - French
…
- les lois organiques ne peuvent être promulguées qu'après déclaration par la Cour constitutionnelle de leur conformité à la Constitution. (Art. 97)
Jurisdiction and Access
Sierra Leone
- English(1) A person who alleges that an enactment or anything contained in or done under the authority of that or any other enactment is inconsistent with, or is in contravention of a provision of this Constitution, may at any time bring an action in the Supreme Court for a declaration to that effect.
(2) The Supreme Court shall, for the purposes of a declaration under subsection (1), make such orders and give such directions as it may consider appropriate for giving effect to, or enabling effect to be given to, the declaration so made.
… (Sec. 127)
Jurisdiction and Access
Burundi
- EnglishThe Constitutional Court is competent to:
– decide on the constitutionality of the laws and of the regulatory acts taken in the matters other than those arising within the domain of the law;
– assure the respect for this Constitution including the Charte des Droits fundamentaux [Charter of Fundamental Rights], by the organs of the State, [and] the other institutions;
– interpret the Constitution, at the demand of the President of the Republic, of the President of the National Assembly, of the President of the Senate, of one-quarter of the Deputies or of one-quarter of the Senators;
– decide on the regularity of the presidential elections, legislative [elections] and of the referenda and to proclaim the definitive results of them;
– receive the oath of the President of the Republic, of the Vice President of the Republic, of the Prime Minister and of the other Ministers before their entry into [their] functions;
– declare the vacancy of the post of President of the Republic.
– declare the vacancy of the seats of the parliamentarians.
The organic laws before their promulgation, the international treaties before submitting them to the vote of the Assemblies, the internal regulations of the National Assembly and of the Senate before their application, are submitted obligatory to the control of constitutionality. (Art. 234) - KirundiSentare yubahiriza Ibwirizwa Shingiro ifise ububasha bukurikira :
- kwihweza ko amabwirizwa n’amategeko ashingwa mu bidasanzwe biringanizwa n’ibwirizwa adaciye kubiri n’Ibwirizwa Shingiro ;
- gucungera ko iri bwirizwa shingiro harimwo n’amasezerano yerekeye amateka ngenderwako y’ikiremwa muntu yubahirizwa n’abantu, inzego za Reta, hamwe n’izindi nzego ;
- gutanga insiguro y’Ibwirizwa Shingiro, bisabwe n’Umukuru w’Igihugu, Umukuru w’Inama Nshingamateka, Umukuru w’Inama Nkenguzamateka, ica kane c’abashingamateka canke ica kane c’abakenguzamateka ;
- kwihweza ko amatora y’Umukuru w’Igihugu, y’abashingamateka n’abakenguzamateka n’ayo gusaba ebenegihugu ngo bemeze canke bahakane ikinaka vyaranguwe hakwirikijwe amategeko n’ugutangaza ivyavuye mu matora ;
- kwakira indahiro y’Umukuru w’Igihugu, iy’Icegera c’Umukuru w’Igihugu, iy’Umushikiranganji wa Mbere n’iz’abandi bashikiranganji imbere y’uko batangura kurangura amabanga bajejwe;
- kwemeza ko igihugu kitagifise umukuru w’Igihugu;
- Kwemeza ko intebe z’abashingamateka n’abakenguzamateka zigaragara.
Amabwirizwa yunganira Ibwirizwa Shingiro imbere y’uko atangazwa, amasezerano mpuzamakungu imbere yuko ashikirizwa Inama Nshingamateka n’Inama Nkenguzamateka ngo ziyemeze, amategeko ntunganyabikorwa atomora ingene Inama Nshingamateka n’ingene Inama Nkenguzamateka zitunganiriza imirimo yazo, ategerezwa gusuzumwa na Sentare yubahiriza Ibwirizwa Shingiro imbere y’uko atangazwa. (Ingingo ya 234) - FrenchLa Cour Constitutionnelle est compétente pour :
- statuer sur la constitutionnalité des lois et des actes réglementaires pris dans les matières autres que celle relevant du domaine de la loi ;
- assurer le respect de la présente Constitution y compris la Charte des Droits fondamentaux, par les organes de l’Etat, les autres institutions ;
- interpréter la Constitution, à la demande du Président de la République, du Président de l’Assemblée Nationale, du Président du Sénat, d’un quart des députés ou d’un quart des sénateurs ;
- statuer sur la régularité des élections présidentielles et législatives et des référendums et en proclamer les résultats définitifs ;
- recevoir le serment du Président de la République, du Vice-Président de la République, du Premier Ministre et des autres Ministres avant leur entrée en fonctions ;
- constater la vacance du poste de Président de la République ;
- constater la vacance des sièges des parlementaires.
Les lois organiques avant leur promulgation, les traités internationaux avant de les soumettre au vote des Assemblées, les règlements intérieurs de l’Assemblée Nationale et du Sénat avant leur mise en application, sont soumis obligatoirement au contrôle de constitutionnalité. (Art. 234)
Jurisdiction and Access
Sudan
- English…
(4) ...
b. If a dispute arises between authority of a sovereign and an executive character, the Constitutional Court shall be competent to decide on such a dispute.
… (Art. 70) - Arabic…
4. … ب. في حالة نشوء نزاع بين السلطه ذات الطبيعة السيادية و التنفيذية تكون المحكمة الدستورية هي المختصة بالبت في ذلك النزاع
(الماده 75)
Jurisdiction and Access
Cabo Verde
- 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
Congo
- EnglishThe Constitutional Court is the high jurisdiction of the State in constitutional matter.
It is [the] judge of the constitutionality of the laws, [and] of the international treaties and agreements.
The Constitutional Court is the regulatory organ of the functioning of the institutions and of the activities of the public powers. (Art. 175) - FrenchLa Cour constitutionnelle est la haute juridiction de l’Etat en matière constitutionnelle.
Elle est juge de la constitutionnalité des lois, des traités et accords internationaux.
La Cour constitutionnelle est l’organe régulateur du fonctionnement des institutions et des activités des pouvoirs publics. (Art. 175)
Jurisdiction and Access
Djibouti
- EnglishThe President of the Republic refers the Constitutional Council to a matter when he deems that a law is contrary to this Constitution. (Art. 35)
- Arabicيحيل رئيس الجمهورية المجلس الدستوري على مسألة عندما يعتبر أن القانون يتنافى مع هذا الدستور. (المادة 35)
- FrenchLe président de la République saisit le Conseil constitutionnel lorsqu'il estime qu'une loi est contraire à la présente Constitution. (Art. 35)