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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 Supreme Federal Court is responsible, essentially, for safeguarding the Constitution, and it is within its competence:
I – to institute legal proceeding and trial, in the first instance, of:
a) direct actions of unconstitutionality of a federal or state law or normative act, and declaratory actions of constitutionality of a federal law or normative act;
b) in common criminal offenses, the President of the Republic, the Vice-President, the members of the National Congress, its own Justices and the Attorney-General of the Republic;
c) in common criminal offenses and crimes of malversation, the Ministers of State and the Commanders of the Navy, the Army, and the Air Force, except as provided in article 52, I, the members of the Superior Courts, those of the Federal Audit Court and the heads of permanent diplomatic missions;
d) habeas corpus, when the petitioner is any one of the persons referred to in the preceding subitems; the writ of mandamus and habeas data against acts of the President of the Republic, of the Directing Boards of the Chamber of Deputies and of the Federal Senate, of the Federal Audit Court, of the Attorney-General of the Republic and of the Supreme Federal Court itself;
e) litigation between a foreign State or an international organization and the Union, a state, the Federal District or a territory;
f) disputes and conflicts between the Union and the states, the Union and the Federal District, or between one another, including the respective indirect administration bodies;
g) extradition requested by a foreign state;
h) (revoked);
i) habeas corpus, when the constraining party is a Superior Court, or when the constraining party or the petitioner is an authority or employee whose acts are directly subject to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Federal Court, or in the case of a crime, subject to the same jurisdiction in one sole instance;
j) criminal review of and actions to overrule its final judgements;
l) claims for the preservation of its powers and guarantee of the authority of its decisions;
m) enforcement of court decisions in the cases where it has original competence, the delegation of duties to perform procedural acts being allowed;
n) a suit in which all members of the judicature are directly or indirectly involved, and a suit in which more than half of the members of the court of origin are disqualified or have a direct or indirect interest;
o) conflicts of powers between the Superior Court of Justice and any other courts, between Superior Courts, or between the latter and any other court;
p) petitions of provisional remedy in direct actions of unconstitutionality;
q) writs of injunction, when drawing up of the regulation is the responsibility of the President of the Republic, of the National Congress, of the Chamber of Deputies, of the Federal Senate, of the Directing Boards of one of these legislative houses, of the Federal Audit Court, of one of the Superior Courts, or of the Supreme Federal Court itself;
r) lawsuits against the National Council of Justice and against the National Council of the Public Prosecution;
II – to judge on ordinary appeal:
a) habeas corpus, writs of mandamus, habeas data and writs of injunction decided in a sole instance by the Superior Courts, in the event of a denial;
b) political crimes;
III – to judge, on extraordinary appeal, cases decided in a sole or last instance, when the decision appealed:
a) is contrary to a provision of this Constitution;
b) declares a treaty or a federal law unconstitutional;
c) considers valid a law or act of a local government contested in the light of this Constitution;
d) considers valid a local law challenged in the light of a federal law.
Paragraph 1. A claim of non-compliance with a fundamental precept deriving from this Constitution shall be examined by the Supreme Federal Court, under the terms of the law.
… (Art. 102) - Portuguese
Compete 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
- EnglishIf the Constitutional Council, on a referral from the President of the Republic, from the Prime Minister, from the President of one or the other Houses, or from sixty Members of the National Assembly or sixty Senators, has held that an international undertaking contains a clause contrary to the Constitution, authorization to ratify or approve the international undertaking involved may be given only after amending the Constitution. (1958 Constitution, Art. 54)
- FrenchSi le Conseil constitutionnel, saisi par le Président de la République, par le Premier ministre, par le président de l'une ou l'autre assemblée ou par soixante députés ou soixante sénateurs, a déclaré qu'un engagement international comporte une clause contraire à la Constitution, l'autorisation de ratifier ou d'approuver l'engagement international en cause ne peut intervenir qu'après révision de la Constitution. (Constitution 1958, Art. 54)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English1. The President of the Republic shall have the power:
…
p) To request, from the Constitutional Court, the preventive review of the constitutionality or legality of the proposals for a referendum at the national level;
q) To request, from the Constitutional Court, the preventive evaluation of the constitutionality of International Treaties;
r) To request, from the Constitutional Court, the review of the constitutionality of legal rules;
… (Art. 135) - Portuguese1. Compete ao Presidente da República:
…
p) Requerer ao Tribunal Constitucional a fiscalização preventiva da constitucionalidade ou da legalidade das propostas de referendo a nível nacional;
q) Requerer ao Tribunal Constitucional a apreciação preventiva da constitucionalidade dos Tratados Internacionais;
r) Requerer ao Tribunal Constitucional a fiscalização da constitucionalidade das normas jurídicas;
… (Art. 135)
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
- EnglishJudges may not apply any laws that are in conflict with the Constitution.
In cases when there are grounds to believe that a law or another legal act that should be applied in a concrete case is in conflict with the Constitution, the judge shall suspend the consideration of the case and shall apply to the Constitutional Court, requesting that it decide whether the law or another legal act in question is in compliance with the Constitution. (Art. 110) - LithuanianTeisėjas negali taikyti įstatymo, kuris prieštarauja Konstitucijai.
Tais atvejais, kai yra pagrindo manyti, kad įstatymas ar kitas teisinis aktas, kuris turėtų būti taikomas konkrečioje byloje, prieštarauja Konstitucijai, teisėjas sustabdo šios bylos nagrinėjimą ir kreipiasi į Konstitucinį Teismą prašydamas spręsti, ar šis įstatymas ar kitas teisinis aktas atitinka Konstituciją. (110 straipsnis)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe Supreme Court is the highest jurisdiction of the Union in judicial, administrative, [and] constitutional matters and [matters] of accounts.
… (Art. 96) - Arabicالمحكمة العليا هي أعلى سلطة قضائية في الاتحاد في الشؤون والحسابات القضائية والإدارية والدستورية.
... (المادة 96) - FrenchLa Cour Suprême est la plus haute juridiction de l’Union en matière judiciaire, administrative, constitutionnelle, électorale et des comptes.
… (Art. 96)
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)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishSubject to the provisions of section 37(7) of this Constitution, an appeal shall lie from decisions of the High Court to the Court of Appeal as of right in the following cases-
(a) final decisions in any civil or criminal proceedings on questions as to the interpretation of this Constitution;
(b) final decisions given in exercise of the jurisdiction conferred on the High Court by section 16 of this Constitution (which relates to the enforcement of the fundamental rights and freedoms). (Sec. 103)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
The organic laws are those which have for [their] object specifying or completing the provisions relative to the organization or to the functioning of the Institutions, structures and systems specified or qualified as such by the Constitution.
They are voted and modified within the following conditions:
…
- the organic laws can only be promulgated after the declaration by the Constitutional Council of their conformity with the Constitution. (Art. 102) - French
Les lois organiques sont celles qui ont pour objet de préciser ou de compléter les dispositions relatives à l’organisation ou au fonctionnement des Institutions, structures et systèmes prévus ou qualifiés comme tels par la Constitution.
Elles sont votées et modifiées dans les conditions suivantes :
…
- les lois organiques ne peuvent être promulguées qu'après la déclaration par le Conseil constitutionnel de leur conformité à la Constitution. (Art. 102)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English1. In cases submitted for trial, tribunals may not apply rules that contravene the Constitution or the principles enshrined therein.
2. Matters of unconstitutionality may be raised by the tribunal of its own motion, by the Public Attorney’s Office, or by any of the parties.
3. After acknowledging the matter of unconstitutionality, the incident will be separately submitted to the Superior Tribunal of Justice, which will decide in a plenary session.
… (Art. 126) - Portuguese1 - Nos feitos submetidos a julgamentos não podem os tribunais aplicar normas que infrinjam o disposto na Constituição ou os princípios nela consagrados.
2 - A questão da inconstitucionalidade pode ser levantada oficiosamente pelo tribunal, pelo Ministério Público ou por qualquer das partes.
3 - Admitida a questão da inconstitucionalidade, o incidente sobe em separado ao Supremo Tribunal de Justiça, que decidirá em plenário.
... (Art. 126)