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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 Constitutional Court, at the demand of the President of the Republic or of any member of the National Assembly, decides on the constitutionality of the laws before their promulgation.
It decides[,] of office[,] on the constitutionality of the laws and any regulatory texts which would infringe the fundamental rights of the human person and the public freedoms. It decides more generally on the violations of the rights of the human person and its decision must intervene within a time period of eight days. (Art. 121) - French
La Cour constitutionnelle, à la demande du président de la République ou de tout membre de l'Assemblée nationale, se prononce sur la constitutionnalité des lois avant leur promulgation.
Elle se prononce d'office sur la constitutionnalité des lois et de tout texte réglementaire censés porter atteinte aux droits fondamentaux de la personne humaine et aux libertés publiques. Elle statue plus généralement sur les violations des droits de la personne humaine et sa décision doit intervenir dans un délai de huit jours. (Art. 121)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English...
(3) The Constitutional Court-
(a) is the highest court of the Republic; and
(b) may decide -
(i) constitutional matters; and
(ii) any other matter, if the Constitutional Court grants leave to appeal on the grounds that the matter raises an arguable point of law of general public importance which ought to be considered by that Court; and
(c) makes the final decision whether a matter is within its jurisdiction.
(4) Only the Constitutional Court may -
(a) decide disputes between organs of state in the national or provincial sphere concerning the constitutional status, powers or functions of any of those organs of state;
(b) decide on the constitutionality of any parliamentary or provincial Bill, but may do so only in the circumstances anticipated in section 79 or 121;
(c) decide applications envisaged in section 80 or 122;
(d) decide on the constitutionality of any amendment to the Constitution;
(e) decide that Parliament or the President has failed to fulfil a constitutional obligation; or
(f) certify a provincial constitution in terms of section 144.
(5) The Constitutional Court makes the final decision whether an Act of Parliament, a provincial Act or conduct of the President is constitutional, and must confirm any order of invalidity made by the Supreme Court of Appeal, the High Court of South Africa, or a court of similar status, before that order has any force.
(6) National legislation or the rules of the Constitutional Court must allow a person, when it is in the interests of justice and with leave of the Constitutional Court—
(a) to bring a matter directly to the Constitutional Court; or
(b) to appeal directly to the Constitutional Court from any other court.
(7) A constitutional matter includes any issue involving the interpretation, protection or enforcement of the Constitution. (Sec. 167)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English1. The Constitutional Court shall be the court that has the power, specifically, to administer Justice in matters of a legal and constitutional nature, particularly with respect to:
a) Review of the constitutionality and legality, under the terms of the Constitution;
b) Verification of death and declaration of disability, of impediment or of loss of office of the President of the Republic;
c) Jurisdiction on matters of elections and political party organizations, under the terms of the law;
d) Resolution of conflicts of jurisdiction, under the terms of the law;
e) Writs of amparo.
… (Art. 215) - Portuguese1. O Tribunal Constitucional é o tribunal ao qual compete, especificamente, administrar a Justiça em matérias de natureza jurídicoconstitucional, designadamente, no que se refere a:
a) Fiscalização da constitucionalidade e legalidade, nos termos da Constituição;
b) Verificação da morte e declaração de incapacidade, de impedimento ou de perda de cargo do Presidente da República;
c) Jurisdição em matéria de eleições e de organizações político-partidárias, nos termos da lei;
d) Resolução de conflitos de jurisdição, nos termos da lei;
e) Recurso de amparo.
… (Art. 215)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English(1) The High Court—
…
(c) may decide constitutional matters except those that only the Constitutional Court may decide;
… (Sec. 171)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe Constitutional Court is referred to [a matter] by the President of the Republic, by the President of the National Assembly, by the President of the Senate, the Prime Minister or by a third of the members of each Chamber of the Parliament. (Art. 178)
- FrenchLa Cour constitutionnelle est saisie par le Président de la République, le Président de l’Assemblée nationale, le Président du Sénat, le Premier ministre ou par un tiers des membres de chaque chambre du Parlement. (Art. 178)
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
- English(1) Subject to the jurisdiction of the High Court in the enforcement of the Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms as provided in article 33 of this Constitution, the Supreme Court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction in—
(a) all matters relating to the enforcement or interpretation of this Constitution; and
(b) all matters arising as to whether an enactment was made in excess of the powers conferred on Parliament or any other authority or person by law or under this Constitution.
(2) Where an issue that relates to a matter or question referred to in clause (1) of this article arises in any proceedings in a court other than the Supreme Court, that court shall stay the proceedings and refer the question of law involved to the Supreme Court for determination; and the court in which the question arose shall dispose of the case in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Court. (Art. 130)
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 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
- 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)