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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 organic laws and the regulations of the National Assembly, before their promulgation or their entry into application[,] must be submitted to the Constitutional Council.
To the same ends, the ordinary laws and the treaties submitted to the procedure of ratification, may be deferred to the Constitutional Council, before their promulgation. (Art. 155) - French
Les lois organiques et le règlement de l’Assemblée nationale, avant leur promulgation ou leur mise en application, doivent être soumis au Conseil constitutionnel.
Aux mêmes fins, les lois ordinaires et les traités soumis à la procédure de ratification, peuvent être déférés au Conseil constitutionnel, avant leur promulgation. (Art. 155)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English...
(2)(a) The Supreme Court of Appeal, the High Court of South Africa or a court of similar status may make an order concerning the constitutional validity of an Act of Parliament, a provincial Act or any conduct of the President, but an order of constitutional invalidity has no force unless it is confirmed by the Constitutional Court.
(b) A court which makes an order of constitutional invalidity may grant a temporary interdict or other temporary relief to a party, or may adjourn the proceedings, pending a decision of the Constitutional Court on the validity of that Act or conduct.
(c) National legislation must provide for the referral of an order of constitutional invalidity to the Constitutional Court.
(d) Any person or organ of state with a sufficient interest may appeal, or apply, directly to the Constitutional Court to confirm or vary an order of constitutional invalidity by a court in terms of this subsection.
… (Sec. 172)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe Constitutional Council shall have jurisdiction in matters pertaining to the Constitution. It shall rule on the constitutionality of laws. It shall be the organ regulating the functioning of the institutions. (Art. 46)
- FrenchLe Conseil Constitutionnel est l’instance compétente en matière constitutionnelle. Il statue sur la constitutionnalité des lois. Il est l’organe régulateur du fonctionnement des institutions. (Art. 46)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English(1) The Constitutional Court—
(a) is the highest court in all constitutional matters, and its decisions on those matters bind all other courts;
(b) decides only constitutional matters and issues connected with decisions on constitutional matters, in particular references and applications under section 131(8)(b) and paragraph 9(2) of the Fifth Schedule3; and
(c) makes the final decision whether a matter is a constitutional matter or whether an issue is connected with a decision on a constitutional matter.
(2) Subject to this Constitution, only the Constitutional Court may—
(a) advise on the constitutionality of any proposed legislation, but may do so only where the legislation concerned has been referred to it in terms of this Constitution;
…
(d) determine whether Parliament or the President has failed to fulfil a constitutional obligation.
(3) The Constitutional Court makes the final decision whether an Act of Parliament or conduct of the President or Parliament is constitutional, and must confirm any order of constitutional invalidity made by another court before that order has any force.
(4) An Act of Parliament may provide for the exercise of jurisdiction by the Constitutional Court and for that purpose may confer the power to make rules of court.
(5) Rules of the Constitutional Court must allow a person, when it is in the interests of justice and with or without leave of the Constitutional Court—
(a) to bring a constitutional matter directly to the Constitutional Court;
(b) to appeal directly to the Constitutional Court from any other court;
(c) to appear as a friend of the court. (Sec. 167)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
If the Constitutional Council, referred [to the matter] by the President of the Republic, the President of the National Assembly or of the Senate or by one-tenth at least of the Deputies or of the Senators, has declared that an international treaty or agreement includes a clause contrary to the Constitution, the authorization to ratify it can take place only after revision of the Constitution. (Art. 122)
- French
Si le Conseil constitutionnel, saisi par le Président de la République, le Président de l'Assemblée nationale ou du Sénat ou par un dixième au moins des députés ou des sénateurs, a déclaré qu'un traité ou un accord international comporte une clause contraire à la Constitution, l'autorisation de le ratifier ne peut intervenir qu'après la révision de la Constitution. (Art. 122)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English...
2. The Constitutional Tribunal is competent:
a) To take cognizance of the recourses of unconstitutionality of the laws.
b) To take cognizance of the recourses of constitutional amparo against the provisions and acts which violate the rights and freedoms recognized in the Fundamental Law.
c) To proclaim the definitive results of the Presidential, Legislative, [and] Municipal Elections and the Operations of Referendum.
d) To declare the permanent physical or mental incapacity that constitute legal impediment to the fulfillment of the functions of the President of the Republic, of the Vice President of the Republic, of the President of the Chamber of the Deputies and of the President of the Senate.
e) To decide with binding character, concerning the constitutional leglity of the regulatory development of the institutional laws.
f) To take cognizance of the conflicts between the constitutional organs.
g) To take cognizance concerning the declaration of unconstitutionality of the international treaties.
h) [Of] the other matters that the laws attribute to it. (Art. 101) - Spanish...
2. Compete al Tribunal Constitucional:
a) Conocer de los recursos de inconstitucionalidad de las leyes.
b) Conocer de los recursos de amparo constitucional contra las disposiciones y actos que violen los derechos y libertades reconocidos en la Ley Fundamental.
c) Proclamar los resultados definitivos de las Elecciones Presidenciales, Legislativas, Municipales y las Operaciones de Referéndum.
d) Declarar la incapacidad física o mental permanente que constituye impedimento legal para el desempeño de las funciones del Presidente de la República, del Vice-Presidente de la República, del Presidente de la Cámara de los Diputados y del Presidente del Senado.
e) Dictaminar con carácter vinculante, sobre la legalidad constitucional del desarrollo reglamentario de las leyes institucionales.
f) Conocer de los conflictos entre los órganos constitucionales.
g) Conocer sobre la declaración de inconstitucionalidad de los tratados internacionales.
h) Las demás materias que le atribuyen las leyes. (Art. 101) - French...
2. Il appartient au Tribunal constitutionnel:
a) De connaître des demandes d'inconstitutionnalité des lois.
b) De connaître des pourvois fondés sur les droits constitutionnels formés contre les actes et dispositions portant atteinte aux droits et libertés reconnus par la Loi fondamentale.
c) De proclamer les résultats définitifs des élections présidentielles, législatives, municipales et des procédures de référendum.
d) De déclarer l'incapacité physique ou mentale permanente du Président de la République, du Vice-président de la République, du président de la Chambre des députés et du président du Sénat, les rendant juridiquement inaptes à l'exercice de leurs fonctions.
e) De rendre des avis obligatoires sur la constitutionnalité des règlements pris en application des lois organisant les institutions.
f) De connaître des conflits entre les organes constitués.
g) De connaître des déclarations d'inconstitutionnalité des traités internationaux.
h) De connaître des autres matières relevant de sa compétence en vertu des lois. (Art. 101)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe organic laws are obligatorily submitted by the President of the Republic to the Constitutional Court before their promulgation.
The ordinary laws, before their promulgation, may be referred to the Constitutional Court either by the President of the Republic or by the President of the National Assembly or by one-tenth of the Deputies. (Art. 95) - FrenchLes lois organiques sont obligatoirement soumises par le président de la République à la Cour constitutionnelle avant leur promulgation.
Les lois ordinaires, avant leur promulgation, peuvent être déférées à la Cour constitutionnelle soit par le président de la République, soit par le président de l'Assemblée nationale ou par un dixième des députés. (Art. 95)
Jurisdiction and Access
- 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
- 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
- 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)