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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.
Obligations of the State
- EnglishWhereas the People of Trinidad and Tobago-
(a) have affirmed that the Nation of Trinidad and Tobago is founded upon principles that acknowledge the supremacy of God, faith in fundamental human rights and freedoms, the position of the family in a society of free men and free institutions, the dignity of the human person and the equal and inalienable rights with which all members of the human family are endowed by their Creator;
…
(e) desire that their Constitution should enshrine the above-mentioned principles and beliefs and make provision for ensuring the protection in Trinidad and Tobago of fundamental human rights and freedoms.
… (Preamble)
Obligations of the State
- EnglishThe exercise of rights shall be governed by the following principles:
1. Rights can be exercised, promoted and enforced individually or collectively before competent authorities; these authorities shall guarantee their enforcement.
2. All persons are equal and shall enjoy the same rights, duties and opportunities.
…
3. The rights and guarantees set forth in the Constitution and in international human rights instruments shall be directly and immediately enforced by and before any civil, administrative or judicial servant, either by virtue of their office or at the request of the party.
For the exercise of rights and constitutional guarantees, no conditions or requirements shall be established other than those set forth in the Constitution or by law. Rights shall be fully actionable. Absence of a legal regulatory framework cannot be alleged to justify their infringement or ignorance thereof, to dismiss proceedings filed as a result of these actions or to deny their recognition.
4. No legal regulation can restrict the contents of rights or constitutional guarantees.
5. In terms of rights and constitutional guarantees, public, administrative or judicial servants must abide by the most favorable interpretation of their effective force.
6. All principles and rights are unalienable, obligatory, indivisible, interdependent and of equal importance.
7. Recognition of the rights and guarantees set forth in the Constitution and in international human rights instruments shall not exclude the other rights stemming from the dignity of persons, communities, peoples and nations that might be needed for their full development.
8. The contents of rights shall be developed progressively by means of standards, case law, and public policies. The State shall generate and guarantee the conditions needed for their full recognition and exercise.
Any deed or omission of a regressive nature that diminishes, undermines or annuls without justification the exercise of rights shall be deemed unconstitutional.
9. The State’s supreme duty consists of respecting and enforcing respect for the rights guaranteed in the Constitution.
The State, its delegates, concession holders and all persons acting in the exercise of public authority, shall be obligated to redress infringements of the rights of individuals for negligence or inadequacies in the provision of public services or for the deeds or omissions of their public officials and employees in the performance of their duties.
The State shall immediately exercise the right to file a claim for restoration against those persons responsible for the damage produced, without detriment to civil, criminal and administrative liabilities.
The State shall be held liable for arbitrary arrest and detention, miscarriage of justice, unjustified delay or inadequate administration of justice, violation of the right to effective protection of the court, and any violations of the principles and rules of due process of law.
When a final judgment of conviction is reversed or vacated, the State shall provide redress to the person who has sustained damages as a result of this judgment; when the responsibility for such acts by public, administrative or judicial servants is identified, they shall be duly charged to obtain restitution. (Art. 11) - SpanishEI ejercicio de los derechos se regirá por los siguientes principios:
1. Los derechos se podrán ejercer, promover y exigir de forma individual o colectiva ante las autoridades competentes; estas autoridades garantizarán su cumplimiento.
2. Todas las personas son iguales y gozarán de los mismos derechos, deberes y oportunidades.
…
3. Los derechos y garantías establecidos en la Constitución y en los instrumentos internacionales de derechos humanos serán de directa e inmediata aplicación por y ante cualquier servidora o servidor público, administrativo o judicial, de oficio o a petición de parte.
Para el ejercicio de los derechos y las garantías constitucionales no se exigirán condiciones o requisitos que no estén establecidos en la Constitución o la ley.
Los derechos serán plenamente justiciables. No podrá alegarse falta de norma jurídica para justificar su violación o desconocimiento, para desechar la acción por esos hechos ni para negar su reconocimiento.
4. Ninguna norma jurídica podrá restringir el contenido de los derechos ni de las garantías constitucionales.
5. En materia de derechos y garantías constitucionales, las servidoras y servidores públicos, administrativos o judiciales, deberán aplicar la norma y la interpretación que más favorezcan su efectiva vigencia.
6. Todos los principios y los derechos son inalienables, irrenunciables, indivisibles, interdependientes y de igual jerarquía.
7. El reconocimiento de los derechos y garantías establecidos en la Constitución y en los instrumentos internacionales de derechos humanos, no excluirá los demás derechos derivados de la dignidad de las personas, comunidades, pueblos y nacionalidades, que sean necesarios para su pleno desenvolvimiento.
8. El contenido de los derechos se desarrollará de manera progresiva a través de las normas, la jurisprudencia y las políticas públicas. El Estado generará y garantizará las condiciones necesarias para su pleno reconocimiento y ejercicio.
Será inconstitucional cualquier acción u omisión de carácter regresivo que disminuya, menoscabe o anule injustificadamente el ejercicio de los derechos.
9. El más alto deber del Estado consiste en respetar y hacer respetar los derechos garantizados en la Constitución.
El Estado, sus delegatarios, concesionarios y toda persona que actúe en ejercicio de una potestad pública, estarán obligados a reparar las violaciones a los derechos de los particulares por la falta o deficiencia en la prestación de los servicios públicos, o por las acciones u omisiones de sus funcionarias y funcionarios, y empleadas y empleados públicos en el desempeño de sus cargos.
El Estado ejercerá de forma inmediata el derecho de repetición en contra de las personas responsables del daño producido, sin perjuicio de las responsabilidades civiles, penales y administrativas.
El Estado será responsable por detención arbitraria, error judicial, retardo injustificado o inadecuada administración de justicia, violación del derecho a la tutela judicial efectiva, y por las violaciones de los principios y reglas del debido proceso.
Cuando una sentencia condenatoria sea reformada o revocada, el Estado reparará a la persona que haya sufrido pena como resultado de tal sentencia y, declarada la responsabilidad por tales actos de servidoras o servidores públicos, administrativos o judiciales, se repetirá en contra de ellos. (Art. 11)
Obligations of the State
- EnglishThe people of Venezuela, … promotes peaceful cooperation among nations and furthers and strengthens Latin American integration in accordance with the principle of nonintervention and national self-determination of the people, the universal and indivisible guarantee of human rights, … (Preamble)
- SpanishEl pueblo de Venezuela, … promueva la cooperación pacífica entre las naciones e impulse y consolide la integración latinoamericana de acuerdo con el principio de no intervención y autodeterminación de los pueblos, la garantía universal e indivisible de los derechos humanos, … (Preámbulo)
Obligations of the State
- EnglishWhereas every person in The Bahamas is entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual, that is to say, has the right, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest,
... (Art. 15)
Obligations of the State
- EnglishThe Haitian people proclaim this Constitution:
To guarantee their inalienable and imprescriptible rights to life, to liberty and to the pursuit of happiness; in accordance with their Act of Independence of 1804 and with the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man of 1948.
…
To implant democracy which implies ideological pluralism and political alternation and to affirm the inviolable rights of the Haitian People.
…
To establish a governmental regime based on the fundamental liberties and the respect for human rights, the social peace, economic equity, the equity of gender, the concerted action and the participation of all the population in the grand decisions engaging the national life, by an effective decentralization.
… (Preamble) - FrenchLe Peuple Haïtien proclame la présente Constitution:
Pour garantir ses droits inaliénables et imprescriptibles à la vie, à la liberté et à la poursuite du bonheur; conformément à son Acte d’Indépendance de 1804 et à la Déclaration Universelle des Droits de l’Homme de 1948.
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Pour implanter la démocratie qui implique le pluralisme idéologique et l'alternance politique et affirmer les droits inviolables du Peuple Haïtien.
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Pour instaurer un régime gouvernemental basé sur les libertés fondamentales et le respect des droits humains, la paix sociale, l'équité économique, la concertation et la participation de toute la population aux grandes décisions engageant la vie nationale, par une décentralisation effective.
… (Préambule)
Obligations of the State
- English
Primordial duties of the State are: to defend the national sovereignty; to guarantee the full effectiveness [vigencia] of the human rights; to protect the population from the threats against their security, and to promote the general well-being founded on justice and the full and balanced development of the Nation.
… (Art. 44) - Spanish
Son deberes primordiales del Estado: defender la soberanía nacional; garantizar la plena vigencia de los derechos humanos; proteger a la población de las amenazas contra su seguridad; y promover el bienestar general que se fundamenta en la justicia y en el desarrollo integral y equilibrado de la Nación.
… (Art. 44)
Obligations of the State
- English
Where every person in Saint Vincent is entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms, that is to say, the right, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinions, color, creed or sex, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest,
… (Sec. 1)
Obligations of the State
- EnglishThe State shall create the conditions for the integral protection of its inhabitants throughout their lives, conditions that shall ensure the rights and principles enshrined in the Constitution, in particular that of equality in diversity and nondiscrimination and shall give priority to actions for those groups who require special consideration because of the persistence of inequalities, exclusion, discrimination or violence or by virtue of their age, health, or disabilities.
Integral protection shall function by means of specialized systems in accordance with the law. The specialized systems shall be guided by their specific principles and by those of the national system of social inclusion and equity.
… (Art. 341) - SpanishEl Estado generará las condiciones para la protección integral de sus habitantes a lo largo de sus vidas, que aseguren los derechos y principios reconocidos en la Constitución, en particular la igualdad en la diversidad y la no discriminación, y priorizará su acción hacia aquellos grupos que requieran consideración especial por la persistencia de desigualdades, exclusión, discriminación o violencia, o en virtud de su condición etaria, de salud o de discapacidad.
La protección integral funcionará a través de sistemas especializados, de acuerdo con la ley. Los sistemas especializados se guiarán por sus principios específicos y los del sistema nacional de inclusión y equidad social.
… (Art. 341)
Obligations of the State
- EnglishAny act on the part of the Public Power that violates or encroaches upon the rights guaranteed by this Constitution and by law is null and void, and the public employees ordering or implementing the same shall incur criminal, civil and administrative liability, as applicable in each case, with no defense on grounds of having followed the orders of a superior. (Art. 25)
- SpanishTodo acto dictado en ejercicio del Poder Público que viole o menoscabe los derechos garantizados por esta Constitución y la ley es nulo, y los funcionarios públicos y funcionarias públicas que lo ordenen o ejecuten incurren en responsabilidad penal, civil y administrativa, según los casos, sin que les sirvan de excusa órdenes superiores. (Art. 25)
Obligations of the State
- EnglishWhereas every person in Barbados is entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual, that is to say, the right, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest,
... (Sec. 11)