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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(1) Where any question as to the interpretation of this Constitution arises in any proceedings in any subordinate court and the court is of the opinion that the question involves a substantial question of law, the court may, and shall, if any party to the proceedings so requests, refer the question to the High Court.
(2) Where any question is referred to the High Court in pursuance of this section, the High Court shall give its decision upon the question and the court in which the question arose shall, subject to any appeal, dispose of the case in accordance with that decision. (Sec. 105)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishIn addition to the issues that are directed to it by other Articles of the Constitution, the High Constitutional Court, within the conditions established by an organic law:
1°. decides on the conformity with the Constitution of the treaties, of the laws, of the ordinances, and of the autonomous regulations;
2°. rules on the conflicts of competence between two or more Institutions of the State or between the State and one or more Decentralized Territorial Collectivities or between two or more Decentralized Territorial Collectivities;
3°. decides on the conformity with the Constitution and with the organic laws, of the deliberations and of the regulatory acts adopted by the Decentralized Territorial Collectivities;
4°. decides on the disputes of the operations of referendum, of the election of the President of the Republic and of the elections of the Deputies and Senators;
5°. proclaims the official result of the presidential and legislative elections and of the consultations by referendum. (Art. 116) - FrenchOutre les questions qui lui sont renvoyées par d’autres articles de la Constitution, la Haute Cour Constitutionnelle, dans les conditions fixées par une loi organique :
1° statue sur la conformité à la Constitution des traités, des lois, des ordonnances, et des règlements autonomes ;
2° règle les conflits de compétence entre deux ou plusieurs Institutions de l'Etat ou entre l'Etat et une ou plusieurs Collectivités Territoriales Décentralisées ou entre deux ou Collectivités Territoriales Décentralisées ;
3° statue sur la conformité à la Constitution et aux lois organiques, des actes à caractère législatif et réglementaires adoptés par les Collectivités Territoriales Décentralisées;
4° statue sur le contentieux des opérations de référendum, de l'élection du Président de la République et des élections des députés et sénateurs ;
5° proclame le résultat officiel des élections présidentielles, législatives et des consultations par référendum. (Art. 116)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
[The following] are attributions of the Supreme Court of Justice:
...
3) To take cognizance of and to resolve the recourses of amparo for violation of rights established in the Constitution, in accordance with the Law of Constitutional Justice.
4) To take cognizance of and to resolve the recourses for unconstitutionality of the law.
... (Art. 164) - Spanish
Son atribuciones de la Corte Suprema de Justicia:
...
3) Conocer y resolver los recursos de amparo por violación de los derechos establecidos en la Constitución, de acuerdo a la Ley de Justicia Constitucional.
4) Conocer y resolver los recursos por inconstitucionalidad de la ley.
... (Art. 164)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishIf, during proceedings in progress before a court of law, it is claimed that a legislative provision infringes the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, the matter may be referred by the Conseil d’État or by the Cour de Cassation to the Constitutional Council which shall rule within a determined period.
… (1958 Constitution, Art. 61-1) - FrenchLorsque, à l'occasion d'une instance en cours devant une juridiction, il est soutenu qu'une disposition législative porte atteinte aux droits et libertés que la Constitution garantit, le Conseil constitutionnel peut être saisi de cette question sur renvoi du Conseil d'État ou de la Cour de cassation qui se prononce dans un délai déterminé.
… (Constitution 1958, Art. 61-1)
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…
The organic laws may only be promulgated after the Constitutional Court has decided on their conformity with the Constitution. (Art. 85) - Arabic...
لا يمكن إصدار الأمر بتنفيذ القوانين التنظيمية، إلا بعد أن تصرح المحكمة الدستورية بمطابقتها للدستور (الفصل 85)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English(1) An appeal shall lie from decisions of the Court of Appeal to Her Majesty in Council as of right in the following cases:
…
(c) final decisions in any civil or criminal proceedings that involve a question as to the interpretation of this Constitution;
… (Sec. 99)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English(1) There shall be in and for Malta such Superior Courts having such powers and jurisdiction as may be provided by any law for the time being in force in Malta.
(2) One of the Superior Courts, composed of such three judges as could, in accordance with any law for the time being in force in Malta, compose the Court of Appeal, shall be known as the Constitutional Court and shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine –
(a) such questions as are referred to in article 63 of the Constitution;
(b) any reference made to it in accordance with article 56 of this Constitution and any matter referred to it in accordance with any law relating to the election of members of the House of Representatives;
(c) appeals from decisions of the Civil Court, First Hall, under article 46 of this Constitution;
(d) appeals from decisions of any court of original jurisdiction in Malta as to the interpretation of this Constitution other than those which may fall under article 46 of this Constitution;
(e) appeals from decisions of any court of original jurisdiction in Malta on questions as to the validity of laws other than those which may fall under article 46 of this Constitution; and
(f) any question decided by a court of original jurisdiction in Malta together with any of the questions referred to in the foregoing paragraphs of this sub-article on which an appeal has been made to the Constitutional Court:
Provided that nothing in this paragraph shall preclude an appeal being brought separately before the Court of Appeal in accordance with any law for the time being in force in Malta.
… (Art. 95) - Maltese(1) Għandu jkun hemm f’MaIta u għal Malta dawk il-Qrati Superjuri li jkollhom dawk is-setgħat u ġurisdizzjoni kif ikun provdut b’xi liġi li għal dak iż-żmien tkun isseħħ f’Malta.
(2) Waħda mill-Qrati Superjuri, magħmula minn tlieta mill-imħallfin li jkunu jistgħu, skont xi liġi li għal dak iż-żmien tkun isseħħ f ’Malta, joqgħodu fil-Qorti tal-Appell, għandha tkun magħrufa bħala l-Qorti Kostituzzjonali u jkollha ġurisdizzjoni li tisma’ u tiddeċidi -
(a) dawk il-kwistjonijiet li huma msemmija fl-artikolu 63 tal-Kostituzzjoni;
(b) kull ħaġa riferita lilha skont l-artikolu 56 ta’ din il-Kostituzzjoni u kull ħaġa riferita lilha skont kull liġi dwar l-elezzjoni tal-membri tal-Kamra tad-Deputati;
(ċ) appelli minn deċiżjonijiet tal-Prim’Awla tal-Qorti Ċivili skont l-artikolu 46 ta’ din il-Kostituzzjoni;
(d) appelli minn deċiżjonijiet ta’ xi qorti ta’ ġurisdizzjoni oriġinali f’Malta fuq kwistjonijiet dwar interpretazzjoni ta’ din il-Kostituzzjoni li ma jkunux dawk li jistgħu jaqgħu taħt l-artikolu 46 ta’ din il- Kostituzzjoni;
(e) appelli minn deċiżjonijiet ta’ xi qorti ta’ ġurisdizzjoni oriġinali f’Malta fuq kwistjonijiet dwar il-validità ta’ liġijiet li ma jkunux dawk li jistgħu jaqgħu taħt l-artikolu 46 ta’ din il-Kostituzzjoni; u
(f) kull kwistjoni deċiża minn qorti ta’ ġurisdizzjoni oriġinali f’Malta flimkien ma’ xi waħda mill-kwistjonijiet imsemmija fil-paragrafi ta’ qabel ta’ dan is-subartikolu li minnha jkun sar appell lill-Qorti Kostituzzjonali:
Iżda ebda ħaġa li tinsab f’dan il-paragrafu ma ttellef li appell jinġieb separatament quddiem il-Qorti tal-Appell skont xi liġi li għal dak iż-żmien ikun hemm isseħħ f’Malta.
… (Art. 95)
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
- EnglishThe Constitutional Court emits opinions [avis] on the interpretation of the Constitution when it is referred to [the matter] by the President of the Republic, by the president of the National Assembly, by the Prime Minister, or by one-tenth (1/10) of the deputies. (Art. 133)
- FrenchLa Cour constitutionnelle émet des avis sur l'interprétation de la Constitution lorsqu'elle est saisie par le Président de la République, le président de l'Assemblée nationale, le Premier ministre, ou un dixième (1/10) des députés. (Art. 133)