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Jurisdiction and Access
- English1. Subject to the provisions of sections 25(2), 47(8)(b), 56(4), 65(5), 123(7)(b) and 124 of this Constitution, any person who alleges that any provision of this Constitution (other than a provision of Chapter II3) has been or is being contravened may, if he has a relevant interest, apply to the High Court for a declaration and for relief under this section.
2. The High Court shall have jurisdiction on an application made under this section to determine whether any provision of this Constitution (other than a provision of Chapter II) has been or is being contravened and to make a declaration accordingly.
3. Where the High Court makes a declaration under this section that a provision of this Constitution has been or is being contravened and the person on whose application the declaration is made has also applied for relief, the High Court may grant to that person such remedy as it considers appropriate, being a remedy available generally under any law in proceedings in the High Court.
4. The Chief Justice may make provision, or authorise the making of provision, with respect to the practice and procedure of the High Court in relation to the jurisdiction and powers conferred on the court by or under this section, including provision with respect to the time within which any application under this section may be made.
5. A person shall be regarded as having a relevant interest for the purpose of an application under this section only if the contravention of this Constitution alleged by him is such as to affect his interests.
6. The rights conferred on a person by this section to apply for a declaration and relief in respect of an alleged contravention of this Constitution shall be in addition to any other action in respect of the same matter that may be available to that person under any other law or any rule of law.
7. Nothing in this section shall confer jurisdiction on the High Court to hear or determine any such question as is referred to in section 44 of this Constitution. (Sec. 119)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
The Supreme Federal Court is responsible, essentially, for safeguarding the Constitution, and it is within its competence:
I – to institute legal proceeding and trial, in the first instance, of:
a) direct actions of unconstitutionality of a federal or state law or normative act, and declaratory actions of constitutionality of a federal law or normative act;
b) in common criminal offenses, the President of the Republic, the Vice-President, the members of the National Congress, its own Justices and the Attorney-General of the Republic;
c) in common criminal offenses and crimes of malversation, the Ministers of State and the Commanders of the Navy, the Army, and the Air Force, except as provided in article 52, I, the members of the Superior Courts, those of the Federal Audit Court and the heads of permanent diplomatic missions;
d) habeas corpus, when the petitioner is any one of the persons referred to in the preceding subitems; the writ of mandamus and habeas data against acts of the President of the Republic, of the Directing Boards of the Chamber of Deputies and of the Federal Senate, of the Federal Audit Court, of the Attorney-General of the Republic and of the Supreme Federal Court itself;
e) litigation between a foreign State or an international organization and the Union, a state, the Federal District or a territory;
f) disputes and conflicts between the Union and the states, the Union and the Federal District, or between one another, including the respective indirect administration bodies;
g) extradition requested by a foreign state;
h) (revoked);
i) habeas corpus, when the constraining party is a Superior Court, or when the constraining party or the petitioner is an authority or employee whose acts are directly subject to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Federal Court, or in the case of a crime, subject to the same jurisdiction in one sole instance;
j) criminal review of and actions to overrule its final judgements;
l) claims for the preservation of its powers and guarantee of the authority of its decisions;
m) enforcement of court decisions in the cases where it has original competence, the delegation of duties to perform procedural acts being allowed;
n) a suit in which all members of the judicature are directly or indirectly involved, and a suit in which more than half of the members of the court of origin are disqualified or have a direct or indirect interest;
o) conflicts of powers between the Superior Court of Justice and any other courts, between Superior Courts, or between the latter and any other court;
p) petitions of provisional remedy in direct actions of unconstitutionality;
q) writs of injunction, when drawing up of the regulation is the responsibility of the President of the Republic, of the National Congress, of the Chamber of Deputies, of the Federal Senate, of the Directing Boards of one of these legislative houses, of the Federal Audit Court, of one of the Superior Courts, or of the Supreme Federal Court itself;
r) lawsuits against the National Council of Justice and against the National Council of the Public Prosecution;
II – to judge on ordinary appeal:
a) habeas corpus, writs of mandamus, habeas data and writs of injunction decided in a sole instance by the Superior Courts, in the event of a denial;
b) political crimes;
III – to judge, on extraordinary appeal, cases decided in a sole or last instance, when the decision appealed:
a) is contrary to a provision of this Constitution;
b) declares a treaty or a federal law unconstitutional;
c) considers valid a law or act of a local government contested in the light of this Constitution;
d) considers valid a local law challenged in the light of a federal law.
Paragraph 1. A claim of non-compliance with a fundamental precept deriving from this Constitution shall be examined by the Supreme Federal Court, under the terms of the law.
… (Art. 102) - Portuguese
Compete ao Supremo Tribunal Federal, precipuamente, a guarda da Constituição, cabendo-lhe:
I - processar e julgar, originariamente:
a) a ação direta de inconstitucionalidade de lei ou ato normativo federal ou estadual e a ação declaratória de constitucionalidade de lei ou ato normativo federal;
b) nas infrações penais comuns, o Presidente da República, o Vice-Presidente, os membros do Congresso Nacional, seus próprios Ministros e o Procurador-Geral da República;
c) nas infrações penais comuns e nos crimes de responsabilidade, os Ministros de Estado e os Comandantes da Marinha, do Exército e da Aeronáutica, ressalvado o disposto no art. 52, I, os membros dos Tribunais Superiores, os do Tribunal de Contas da União e os chefes de missão diplomática de caráter permanente;
d) o habeas corpus, sendo paciente qualquer das pessoas referidas nas alíneas anteriores; o mandado de segurança e o habeas data contra atos do Presidente da República, das Mesas da Câmara dos Deputados e do Senado Federal, do Tribunal de Contas da União, do Procurador-Geral da República e do próprio Supremo Tribunal Federal;
e) o litígio entre Estado estrangeiro ou organismo internacional e a União, o Estado, o Distrito Federal ou o Território;
f) as causas e os conflitos entre a União e os Estados, a União e o Distrito Federal, ou entre uns e outros, inclusive as respectivas entidades da administração indireta;
g) a extradição solicitada por Estado estrangeiro;
h) (Revogado pela Emenda Constitucional nº 45, de 2004)
i) o habeas corpus, quando o coator for Tribunal Superior ou quando o coator ou o paciente for autoridade ou funcionário cujos atos estejam sujeitos diretamente à jurisdição do Supremo Tribunal Federal, ou se trate de crime sujeito à mesma jurisdição em uma única instância;
j) a revisão criminal e a ação rescisória de seus julgados;
l) a reclamação para a preservação de sua competência e garantia da autoridade de suas decisões;
m) a execução de sentença nas causas de sua competência originária, facultada a delegação de atribuições para a prática de atos processuais;
n) a ação em que todos os membros da magistratura sejam direta ou indiretamente interessados, e aquela em que mais da metade dos membros do tribunal de origem estejam impedidos ou sejam direta ou indiretamente interessados;
o) os conflitos de competência entre o Superior Tribunal de Justiça e quaisquer tribunais, entre Tribunais Superiores, ou entre estes e qualquer outro tribunal;
p) o pedido de medida cautelar das ações diretas de inconstitucionalidade;
q) o mandado de injunção, quando a elaboração da norma regulamentadora for atribuição do Presidente da República, do Congresso Nacional, da Câmara dos Deputados, do Senado Federal, das Mesas de uma dessas Casas Legislativas, do Tribunal de Contas da União, de um dos Tribunais Superiores, ou do próprio Supremo Tribunal Federal;
r) as ações contra o Conselho Nacional de Justiça e contra o Conselho Nacional do Ministério Público;
II - julgar, em recurso ordinário:
a) o habeas corpus, o mandado de segurança, o habeas data e o mandado de injunção decididos em única instância pelos Tribunais Superiores, se denegatória a decisão;
b) o crime político;
III - julgar, mediante recurso extraordinário, as causas decididas em única ou última instância, quando a decisão recorrida:
a) contrariar dispositivo desta Constituição;
b) declarar a inconstitucionalidade de tratado ou lei federal;
c) julgar válida lei ou ato de governo local contestado em face desta Constituição.
d) julgar válida lei local contestada em face de lei federal.
§ 1.º A argüição de descumprimento de preceito fundamental, decorrente desta Constituição, será apreciada pelo Supremo Tribunal Federal, na forma da lei.
… (Art. 102)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishJurisdictional guarantees shall be governed, as a rule, by the following provisions:
1. Any person, group of persons, community, people or nation will be able to propose actions envisaged in the Constitution.
…
5. All final judgments shall be referred to the Constitutional Court for their development in case law. (Art. 86) - SpanishLas garantías jurisdiccionales se regirán, en general, por las siguientes disposiciones:
1. Cualquier persona, grupo de personas, comunidad, pueblo o nacionalidad podrá proponer las acciones previstas en la Constitución.
…
5. Todas las sentencias ejecutoriadas serán remitidas a la Corte Constitucional, para el desarrollo de su jurisprudencia. (Art. 86)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English(1) Subject to the provisions of section 37(7) of this Constitution, 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 which involve a question as to the interpretation of this Constitution;
… (Sec. 104)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
The Recourse of Amparo is established against any provision, act or resolution and in general against any action or omission of any functionary, authority or agent of them that violates or operates in violation of [trate de violar] the rights and guarantees consecrated in the Political Constitution. (Art. 188)
- Spanish
Se establece el Recurso de Amparo en contra de toda disposición, acto o resolución y en general en contra de toda acción u omisión de cualquier funcionario, autoridad o agente de los mismos que viole o trate de violar los derechos y garantías consagrados en la Constitución Política. (Art. 188)
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
- EnglishThe Supreme Tribunal of Justice shall guarantee the supremacy and efficacy of constitutional rules and principles; it shall be the supreme and ultimate interpreter of the Constitution and shall see to the uniform interpretation and application of the same. Interpretations established by the Constitutional Division concerning the contents or scope of constitutional rules and principles are binding on the other division of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice and on all of the other courts of the Republic. (Art. 335)
- SpanishEl Tribunal Supremo de Justicia garantizará la supremacía y efectividad de las normas y principios constitucionales; será el máximo y último intérprete de la Constitución y velará por su uniforme interpretación y aplicación. Las interpretaciones que establezca la Sala Constitucional sobre el contenido o alcance de las normas y principios constitucionales son vinculantes para las otras Salas del Tribunal Supremo de Justicia y demás tribunales de la República. (Art. 335)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
(1) Subject to the provisions of sections 33(2), 34(4), 54(18), 69(6), 80(4) and 123(3) of this Constitution, where any question as to the interpretation of this Constitution or the interpretation or application of the Treaty (as defined in section 131 of this Constitution) arises in any court of law established for Belize (other than the High Court or the Court of Appeal), 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.
(2) Where any question is referred to the High Court in pursuance of this section, the High Court shall, subject to subsection (3) below, 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 the Caribbean Court of Justice, in accordance with the decision of the Court of Appeal or, as the case may be, the Caribbean Court of Justice.
… (Sec. 96)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe processes promoted before the Constitutional Court in the matters to which this Article refers will be regulated by the law in conformity with the following provisions:
1. Any citizen can exercise the public recourses [acciones] provided for in the preceding Article and intervene as impugnor or defender of the norms submitted to control in the processes promoted by others, as well as in those cases where no public action exists.
2. The Procurator General of the Nation must intervene in all these processes.
… (Art. 242) - SpanishLos procesos que se adelanten ante la Corte Constitucional en las materias a que se refiere este título, serán regulados por la ley conforme a las siguientes disposiciones:
1. Cualquier ciudadano podrá ejercer las acciones públicas previstas en el artículo precedente, e intervenir como impugnador o defensor de las normas sometidas a control en los procesos promovidos por otros, así como en aquellos para los cuales no existe acción pública.
2. El Procurador General de la Nación deberá intervenir en todos los procesos.
... (Art. 242)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe Constitutional Court shall perform the following duties, in addition to those granted to it by the law:
1. To be the supreme body for interpreting the Constitution and international human rights treaties ratified by the Ecuadorian State by its rulings and judgments. Its decisions shall be binding.
2. To hear and resolve public claims of unconstitutionality, based either on substantive or procedural grounds, filed against general regulatory acts issued by authorities of the State. The declaration of unconstitutionality shall lead to invalidation of the challenged regulatory act.
3. To declare, by virtue of its office, unconstitutional those norms that are related, when in those cases submitted to its examination it concludes that one or various of them are contrary to the Constitution.
4. To hear and resolve, at the request of a party, claims of unconstitutionality against general administrative acts issued by all public authorities. The declaration of unconstitutionality shall lead to the invalidity of the challenged administrative act.
5. To hear and resolve, at the request of the party, claims of noncompliance that are filed to guarantee enforcement of general administrative regulations or acts, regardless of their nature or hierarchy, as well for enforcement of rulings or reports from international organizations for the protection of human rights that are not enforceable through regular judiciary channels.
6. To issue judgments that constitute binding case law with respect to actions of protection, enforcement, habeas corpus, habeas data, access to public information and other constitutional processes, as well as those cases selected by the Court for review.
7. To arbitrate conflicts of jurisdictions or attributions among the branches of government or bodies established by the Constitution.
8. To ensure, by virtue of its office and immediately, monitoring of the constitutionality of the declarations of state of emergency, when this involves the suspension of constitutional rights.
9. To hear and sanction failure to comply constitutional rulings and decisions.
10. To declare the unconstitutionality incurred by State institutions or public authorities that fail to observe, either totally or partially, the mandates contained in constitutional norms, within the time-limits set by the Constitution or within the time-limits deemed to be reasonable by the Constitutional Court. If this failure persists, after this time-limit has elapsed, the Court shall provisionally issue the regulation or enforce the observance, in accordance with the law. (Art. 436) - SpanishLa Corte Constitucional ejercerá, además de las que le confiera la ley, las siguientes atribuciones:
1. Ser la máxima instancia de interpretación de la Constitución, de los tratados internacionales de derechos humanos ratificados por el Estado ecuatoriano, a través de sus dictámenes y sentencias. Sus decisiones tendrán carácter vinculante.
2. Conocer y resolver las acciones públicas de inconstitucionalidad, por el fondo o por la forma, contra actos normativos de carácter general emitidos por órganos autoridades del Estado.
La declaratoria de inconstitucionalidad tendrá como efecto la invalidez del acto normativo impugnado.
3. Declarar de oficio la inconstitucionalidad de normas conexas, cuando en los casos sometidos a su conocimiento concluya que una o varias de ellas son contrarias a la Constitución.
4. Conocer y resolver, a petición de parte, la inconstitucionalidad contra los actos administrativos con efectos generales emitidos por toda autoridad pública. La declaratoria de inconstitucionalidad tendrá como efecto la invalidez del acto administrativo.
5. Conocer y resolver, a petición de parte, las acciones por incumplimiento que se presenten con la finalidad de garantizar la aplicación de normas o actos administrativos de carácter general, cualquiera que sea su naturaleza o jerarquía, así como para el cumplimiento de sentencias o informes de organismos internacionales de protección de derechos humanos que no sean ejecutables por las vías judiciales ordinarias.
6. Expedir sentencias que constituyan jurisprudencia vinculante respecto de las acciones de protección, cumplimiento, hábeas corpus, hábeas data, acceso a la información pública y demás procesos constitucionales, así como los casos seleccionados por la Corte para su revisión.
7. Dirimir conflictos de competencias o de atribuciones entre funciones del Estado u órganos establecidos en la Constitución.
8. Efectuar de oficio y de modo inmediato el control de constitucionalidad de las declaratorias de los estados de excepción, cuando impliquen la suspensión de derechos constitucionales.
9. Conocer y sancionar el incumplimiento de las sentencias y dictámenes constitucionales.
10. Declarar la inconstitucionalidad en que incurran las instituciones del Estado o autoridades públicas que por omisión inobserven, en forma total o parcial, los mandatos contenidos en normas constitucionales, dentro del plazo establecido en la Constitución o en el plazo considerado razonable por la Corte Constitucional. Si transcurrido el plazo la omisión persiste, la Corte, de manera provisional, expedirá la norma o ejecutará el acto omitido, de acuerdo con la ley. (Art. 436)