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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
- EnglishIn specific cases, in every process of whatever competence or jurisdiction, in any instance and in cassation and even before a sentence is decreed, the parties will be able to present as an action [acción], plea [excepción], or incidental issue [incidente], the total or partial unconstitutionality of a law. The tribunal must decide concerning it. (Art. 266)
- SpanishEn casos concretos, en todo proceso de cualquier competencia o jurisdicción, en cualquier instancia y en casación y hasta antes de dictarse sentencia, las partes podrán plantear como acción, excepción o incidente, la inconstitucionalidad total o parcial de una ley. El tribunal deberá pronunciarse al respecto. (Art. 266)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
The Supreme Court shall have sole and exclusive jurisdiction to determine any question as to whether any Bill or any provision thereof is inconsistent with the Constitution:
… (Art. 120) - Sinhala
යම් පනත් කෙටුම්පතක් නැතහොත් පනත් කෙටුම්පතක යම් විධිවිධානයක් ආණ්ඩුක්රම ව්යවස්ථාවට අනනුකූල දැයි යන යම් ප්රශ්නයක් පිළිබඳව තීරණයක් ගැනීමේ තනි හා අනන්ය අධිකරණ බලය ශ්රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයට ඇත්තේ ය:
... (120 වැනි වගන්තිය)
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 High Court shall have jurisdiction to supervise any civil or criminal proceedings before any subordinate court and may make such orders, issue such writs and give such directions as it may consider appropriate for the purpose of ensuring that justice is duly administered by any such court.
2. Where any question as to the interpretation of any provision of this Constitution (other than Chapter II) arises in any subordinate court and the court is of the opinion that the question involves a substantial question of law, the court shall refer the question to the High Court.
3. Where any question is referred to the High Court under the preceding subsection, the High Court shall give its decision upon the question and the court in which the question arose shall dispose of the case in accordance with that decision or, if that decision is the subject of an appeal to the Court of Appeal or to the Judicial Committee, in accordance with the decision of the Court of Appeal or the Judicial Committee. (Sec. 89)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation will take cognizance of, in the terms that the regulatory law specifies, the following matters:
I. Of the constitutional disputes [controversias] that, concerning the constitutionality of the general norms, acts or omissions, with the exception of those that refer to electoral matters, arise between:
a) The Federation and a federative entity;
b) The Federation and a municipality;
c) The Executive Power and the Congress of the Union; one or either of the Chambers of it or, in such case, the Permanent Commission;
d) One federative entity and another;
...
g) Two municipalities of different States;
h) Two Powers of one same federative entity;
i) One State and one of its municipalities;
j) One Federative Entity and one Municipality of another or one territorial demarcation of the City of Mexico;
k) Two autonomous constitutional organs [órganos] of one federative entity and between one of these and the Executive Power or the Legislative Power of that federative entity, and
l) Two federal autonomous constitutional organs, and between one of these and the Executive Power of the Union or the Congress of the Union.
...
II. Of the actions of unconstitutionality that have for their object to establish [plantear] the possible contradiction between a norm of general character and this Constitution.
The actions of unconstitutionality can be exercised, during the thirty natural days following the date of publication of the norm, by:
a) The equivalent of thirty-three percent of the members of the Chamber of Deputies of the Congress of the Union, against federal laws;
b) The equivalent of thirty-three percent of the members of the Senate, against the federal laws or international treaties celebrated by the Mexican State;
c) The Federal Executive, through [por conducto] the Juridical Councilor of the Government, against the general norms of federal character and of the federal entities;
d) The equivalent of thirty-three percent of the members of any of the Legislatures of the federative entities against the laws enacted by that same organ;
...
f) The political parties with registration before the National Electoral Institute, by [por conducto] their national directorships [dirigencias], against the federal or local electoral laws; and the political parties with registration in a federative entity, by [a través] their directorships, exclusively against the electoral laws enacted by the Legislature of the federative entity that granted the registration to them;
g) The National Commission of Human Rights, against laws of federal character or of the federative entities, as well as international treaties celebrated by the Federal Executive and approved by the Senate of the Republic, that make vulnerable the human rights consecrated in this Constitution and in the international treaties to which Mexico is party. Also the equivalent organs [organismos] of protection of human rights in the federative entities, against laws enacted by the Legislatures.
h) The guarantor organ [organismo] that Article 6 of this Constitution establishes against laws of federal and local character, as well as [against] international treaties celebrated by the Federal Executive and approved by the Senate of the Republic, which infringe [vulneren] the right of the access to public information and the protection of personal data. In the same way, the equivalent guarantor organs [organismos] in the federative entities, against laws enacted [expedidas] by the local Legislatures; and
i) The Attorney General of the Republic regarding federal laws and [laws] of the federative entities, in penal matters and [matters] of penal procedure, as well as those related to the domain [ámbito] of his functions;
... (Art. 105) - Spanish
La Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación conocerá, en los términos que señale la ley reglamentaria, de los asuntos siguientes:
I. De las controversias constitucionales que, sobre la constitucionalidad de las normas generales, actos u omisiones, con excepción de las que se refieran a la materia electoral, se susciten entre:
a) La Federación y una entidad federativa;
b) La Federación y un municipio;
c) El Poder Ejecutivo y el Congreso de la Unión; aquél y cualquiera de las Cámaras de éste o, en su caso, la Comisión Permanente;
d) Una entidad federativa y otra;
…
g) Dos municipios de diversos Estados;
h) Dos Poderes de una misma entidad federativa;
i) Un Estado y uno de sus Municipios;
j) Una Entidad Federativa y un Municipio de otra o una demarcación territorial de la Ciudad de México;
k) Dos órganos constitucionales autónomos de una entidad federativa, y entre uno de éstos y el Poder Ejecutivo o el Poder Legislativo de esa entidad federativa, y
l) Dos órganos constitucionales autónomos federales, y entre uno de éstos y el Poder Ejecutivo de la Unión o el Congreso de la Unión.
…
II. De las acciones de inconstitucionalidad que tengan por objeto plantear la posible contradicción entre una norma de carácter general y esta Constitución.
Las acciones de inconstitucionalidad podrán ejercitarse, dentro de los treinta días naturales siguientes a la fecha de publicación de la norma, por:
a) El equivalente al treinta y tres por ciento de los integrantes de la Cámara de Diputados del Congreso de la Unión, en contra de leyes federales;
b) El equivalente al treinta y tres por ciento de los integrantes del Senado, en contra de las leyes federales o de tratados internacionales celebrados por el Estado Mexicano;
c) El Ejecutivo Federal, por conducto del Consejero Jurídico del Gobierno, en contra de normas generales de carácter federal y de las entidades federativas;
d) El equivalente al treinta y tres por ciento de los integrantes de alguna de las Legislaturas de las entidades federativas en contra de las leyes expedidas por el propio órgano;
…
f) Los partidos políticos con registro ante el Instituto Nacional Electoral, por conducto de sus dirigencias nacionales, en contra de leyes electorales federales o locales; y los partidos políticos con registro en una entidad federativa, a través de sus dirigencias, exclusivamente en contra de leyes electorales expedidas por la Legislatura de la entidad federativa que les otorgó el registro;
g) La Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos, en contra de leyes de carácter federal o de las entidades federativas, así como de tratados internacionales celebrados por el Ejecutivo Federal y aprobados por el Senado de la República, que vulneren los derechos humanos consagrados en esta Constitución y en los tratados internacionales de los que México sea parte. Asimismo, los organismos de protección de los derechos humanos equivalentes en las entidades federativas, en contra de leyes expedidas por las Legislaturas;
h) El organismo garante que establece el artículo 6° de esta Constitución en contra de leyes de carácter federal y local, así como de tratados internacionales celebrados por el Ejecutivo Federal y aprobados por el Senado de la República, que vulneren el derecho al acceso a la información pública y la protección de datos personales. Asimismo, los organismos garantes equivalentes en las entidades federativas, en contra de leyes expedidas por las Legislaturas locales; e
i) El Fiscal General de la República respect de leyes federales y de las entidades federativas, en materia penal y procesal penal, así como las relacionadas con el ámbito de sus funciones;
... (Art. 105)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan shall hear cases on compliance with the Constitution of acts of the legislative and executive authority.
… (Art. 132) - Uzbek
O‘zbekiston Respublikasi Konstitutsiyaviy sudi qonun chiqaruvchi va ijro etuvchi hokimiyat hujjatlarining Konstitutsiyaga muvofiqligi to‘g‘risidagi ishlarni ko‘radi.
... (132-modda)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English...
(2) The High Court shall have original jurisdiction to hear and adjudicate upon all civil disputes and criminal prosecutions, including cases which involve the interpretation, implementation and upholding of this Constitution and the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed thereunder. The High Court shall also have jurisdiction to hear and adjudicate upon appeals from Lower Courts.
(3) The jurisdiction of the High Court with regard to appeals shall be determined by Act of Parliament. (Art. 80)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English(1) Where any question as to the interpretation of this Constitution arises in any court of law established for Saint Lucia (other than the Court of Appeal, the High Court or a court martial) and the court is of opinion that the question involves a substantial question of law, the court shall 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 dispose of the case in accordance with that decision or, if the decision is the subject of an appeal to the Court of Appeal or Her Majesty in Council, in accordance with the decision of the Court of Appeal or, as the case may be, Her Majesty in Council. (Sec. 106)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
(1) The Constitutional Court pronounces judgment on the unconstitutionality
1. of laws
a) on application of a court;
b) ex officio in so far as he will have to apply such a law in a suit pending before him;
c) on application by a person who alleges to have infringement of his rights directly by unconstitutionality, if the ordinance has become effective without a judicial decision having been rendered or a ruling having been rendered has become effective for this person;
d) on application by a person who, as a party in a legal matter that has been decided by a court of justice of first instance, alleges infringement of his rights because of the application of an unconstitutional law, on the occasion of an appeal filed against that decision;
(2) of federal laws also on application by a Provincial Government, a third of the members of the National Council or a third of the members of the Federal Council.
(3) of provincial legislation also at the request of the Federal Government or, if the constitutional law of a province so provides, at the request of a third of the members of the Provincial Parliament.
… (Art. 140) - German
(1) Der Verfassungsgerichtshof erkennt über Verfassungswidrigkeit
1. von Gesetzen
a) auf Antrag eines Gerichtes;
b) von Amts wegen, wenn er das Gesetz in einer bei ihm anhängigen Rechtssache anzuwenden hätte;
c) auf Antrag einer Person, die unmittelbar durch diese Verfassungswidrigkeit in ihren Rechten verletzt zu sein behauptet, wenn das Gesetz ohne Fällung einer gerichtlichen Entscheidung oder ohne Erlassung eines Bescheides für diese Person wirksam geworden ist;
d) auf Antrag einer Person, die als Partei einer von einem ordentlichen Gericht in erster Instanz entschiedenen Rechtssache wegen Anwendung eines verfassungswidrigen Gesetzes in ihren Rechten verletzt zu sein behauptet, aus Anlass eines gegen diese Entscheidung erhobenen Rechtsmittels;
2. von Bundesgesetzen auch auf Antrag einer Landesregierung, eines Drittels der Mitglieder des Nationalrates oder eines Drittels der Mitglieder des Bundesrates;
3. von Landesgesetzen auch auf Antrag der Bundesregierung oder, wenn dies landesverfassungsgesetzlich vorgesehen ist, auf Antrag eines Drittels der Mitglieder des Landtages.
… (Art. 140)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English1. The Constitutional Court shall be responsible for reviewing for unconstitutionality and illegality, pursuant to Articles 144 and following.
2. The Constitutional Court shall also be responsible for:
a) Verifying the death and the permanent physical impossibility of the President of the Republic, as well as verifying temporary inability of the President of the Republic to perform official duties;
b) Verifying the forfeiture of office of the President of the Republic, in the cases set forth in paragraph 3 of Article 85 and paragraph 3 of Article 86;
c) Judging in the final instance the regularity and validity of the acts of the electoral proceedings, under the terms of the law;
d) Verifying the death and declaring the incapacitation for the performance of the presidential duties of any candidate for the President of the Republic, for the purposes pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article 78;
e) Verifying the legality of the constitution of political parties and their coalitions, as well as evaluating the legality of their denominations, abbreviations and symbols, and ordering the dissolution, under the terms of the Constitution and of the law.
f) Verifying in advance the constitutionality and legality of national, regional and local referendums, including assessment of the relevant requirements for the respective electorate;
g) Judging at the request of the Deputies, under the terms of the law, appeals relating to loss of parliamentary seat and the elections held in the National Assembly and the Regional and Local Assemblies;
h) Judging actions against elections and resolutions of organs of political parties that, under the terms of the law, may be subject to appeal.
3. It is also the responsibility of the Constitutional Court to exercise such other functions as may be assigned by the Constitution and by the law. (Art. 133) - Portuguese1. Compete ao Tribunal Constitucional apreciar a inconstitucionalidade e a ilegalidade, nos termos dos Artigos 144.º e seguintes.
2. Compete também ao Tribunal Constitucional:
a) Verificar a morte e a impossibilidade física permanente do Presidente da República, bem como verificar os impedimentos temporários do exercício das suas funções;
b) Verificar a perda do cargo do Presidente da República, nos casos previstos no numero 3 do Artigo 85.º e no numero 3 do Artigo 86.º;
c) Julgar em última instância a regularidade e a validade dos actos do processo eleitoral, nos termos da lei;
d) Verificar a morte e declarar a incapacidade para o exercício da função presidencial de qualquer candidato a Presidente da República, para efeitos do disposto no número 2 do Artigo 78.º
e) Verificar a legalidade da constituição de partidos políticos e suas coligações, bem como apreciar a legalidade das suas denominações, siglas e símbolos, e ordenar a respectiva extinção, nos termos da Constituição e da lei;
f) Verificar previamente a constitucionalidade e a legalidade dos referendos nacionais, regionais e locais, incluindo a apreciação dos requisitos relativos ao respectivo universo eleitoral;
g) Julgar, a requerimento dos Deputados, nos termos da lei, os recursos relativos à perda do mandato e às eleições realizadas na Assembleia Nacional e nas Assembleias Regional e Locais;
h) Julgar as acções de impugnação de eleições e de deliberações de órgãos de partidos políticos que, nos termos da lei, sejam recorríveis.
3. Compete ainda ao Tribunal Constitucional exercer as demais funções que lhe sejam atribuídas pela Constituição e pela lei. (Art. 133)