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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
- 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
(1) Subject to subsection (2), the High Court has original jurisdiction to determine any question as to the interpretation or application of this Constitution.
(2) Where —
(a) any question as to the interpretation or application of this Constitution arises in any proceedings in a subordinate court; and
(b) that court is of the opinion that the question involves a substantial question of law,
the court may, and shall if a party to the proceedings so requests, refer the question to the High Court for determination. (Sec. 134)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English1. Appeals of unconstitutionality against laws or statutory rules may be lodged by one fifth of the General Council, the Head of Government and three Local Councils. One fifth of the General Council may lodge an appeal of unconstitutionality against the Rules of Procedure of the Chamber. The appeal shall be lodged within the thirty days following the publication of the rule.
… (Art. 99) - Catalan1. Poden interposar recurs d'inconstitucionalitat contra les lleis i els decrets legislatius una cinquena part dels membres del Consell General, el cap de Govern i tres Comuns. Una cinquena part dels membres del Consell General pot interposar recurs d'inconstitucionalitat contra el reglament de la cambra. El termini d'interposició de la demanda és de trenta dies des de la data de publicació de la norma.
… (Art. 99)
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
- English1. The President of the Republic may ask the Constitutional Court to conduct a prior review of the constitutionality of any rule contained in legislation that has been submitted for enactment, any international treaty submitted to him for ratification or any international agreement sent to him for signature.
2. One tenth of the Members of the National Assembly in full exercise of their office may also request a prior review of the constitutionality of any rule contained in legislation that has been submitted for enactment.
… (Art. 228) - Portuguese1. O Presidente da República pode requerer ao Tribunal Constitucional a apreciação preventiva da constitucionalidade de qualquer norma constante de diploma legal que tenha sido submetido para promulgação, tratado internacional que lhe tenha sido submetido para ratificação ou acordo internacional que lhe tenha sido remetido para assinatura.
2. Pode ainda requerer a apreciação preventiva da constitucionalidade de qualquer norma constante de diploma legal que tenha sido submetido à promulgação um décimo dos Deputados à Assembleia Nacional em efectividade de funções.
... (Art. 228)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishTo the same end, the laws may be deferred to the Constitutional Council before their promulgation by the President of the Republic, the President of the National Assembly or ten Deputies.
… (Art. 79) - Arabicتحقيقاً للهدف نفسه، يجوز إحالة القوانين إلى المجلس الدستوري قبل أن يصدرها رئيس الجمهورية أو رئيس المجلس الوطني أو عشرة نواب.
... (المادة 79) - FrenchAux mêmes fins, les lois peuvent être déférées au Conseil constitutionnel avant leur promulgation par le président de la République, le président de l'Assemblée nationale ou dix députés.
… (Art. 79)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English(1) The Constitutional Court has jurisdiction:
a) to annul statutes or individual provisions thereof if they are in conflicts with the constitutional order;
b) to annul other legal enactments or individual provisions thereof if they are in conflict with the constitutional order or a statute;
c) over constitutional complaints by the representative body of a self-governing region against an unlawful encroachment by the state;
d) over constitutional complaints against final decisions or other encroachments by public authorities infringing constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights and basic freedoms;
e) over remedial actions from decisions concerning the certification of the election of a deputy or senator;
f) to resolve doubts concerning a deputy or senator’s loss of eligibility to hold office or the incompatibility under Article 25 of some other position or activity with holding the office of deputy or senator;
g) over a constitutional charge brought by the Senate against the president of the republic pursuant to Article 65, paragraph 2;
h) to decide on a petition by the president of the republic seeking the revocation of a joint resolution of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate pursuant to Article 66;
i) to decide on the measures necessary to implement a decision of an international tribunal which is binding on the Czech Republic, in the event that it cannot be otherwise implemented;
j) to determine whether a decision to dissolve a political party or other decision relating to the activities of a political party is in conformity with constitutional acts or other laws;
k) to decide jurisdictional disputes between state bodies and bodies of self-governing regions, unless that power is given by statute to another body.
(2) Prior to the ratification of a treaty under Article 10a or Article 49, the Constitutional Court shall further have jurisdiction to decide concerning the treaty’s conformity with the constitutional order. A treaty may not be ratified prior to the Constitutional Court giving judgment.
(3) A statute may provide that, in place of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Administrative Court shall have jurisdiction:
a) to annul legal enactments other than statutes or individual provisions thereof if they are inconsistent with a statute;
b) to decide jurisdictional disputes between state bodies and bodies of self-governing regions, unless that power is given by statute to another body. (1993 Constitution, Art. 87) - Czech(1) Ústavní soud rozhoduje
a) o zrušení zákonů nebo jejich jednotlivých ustanovení, jsou-li v rozporu s ústavním pořádkem,
b) o zrušení jiných právních předpisů nebo jejich jednotlivých ustanovení, jsou-li v rozporu s ústavním pořádkem nebo zákonem,
c) o ústavní stížnosti orgánů územní samosprávy proti nezákonnému zásahu státu,
d) o ústavní stížnosti proti pravomocnému rozhodnutí a jinému zásahu orgánů veřejné moci do ústavně zaručených základních práv a svobod,
e) o opravném prostředku proti rozhodnutí ve věci ověření volby poslance nebo senátora,
f) v pochybnostech o ztrátě volitelnosti a o neslučitelnosti výkonu funkcí poslance nebo senátora podle čl. 25,
g) o ústavní žalobě Senátu proti prezidentu republiky podle čl. 65 odst. 2,
h) o návrhu prezidenta republiky na zrušení usnesení Poslanecké sněmovny a Senátu podle čl. 66,
i) o opatřeních nezbytných k provedení rozhodnutí mezinárodního soudu, které je pro Českou republiku závazné, pokud je nelze provést jinak,
j) o tom, zda rozhodnutí o rozpuštění politické strany nebo jiné rozhodnutí týkající se činnosti politické strany je ve shodě s ústavními nebo jinými zákony,
k) spory o rozsah kompetencí státních orgánů a orgánů územní samosprávy, nepřísluší-li podle zákona jinému orgánu.
(2) Ústavní soud dále rozhoduje o souladu mezinárodní smlouvy podle čl. 10a a čl. 49 s ústavním pořádkem, a to před její ratifikací. Do rozhodnutí Ústavního soudu nemůže být smlouva ratifikována.
(3) Zákon může stanovit, že namísto Ústavního soudu rozhoduje Nejvyšší správní soud
a) o zrušení právních předpisů nebo jejich jednotlivých ustanovení, jsou-li v rozporu se zákonem,
b) spory o rozsah kompetencí státních orgánů a orgánů územní samosprávy, nepřísluší-li podle zákona jinému orgánu. (Ústava 1993, Čl. 87)
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
The Constitutional Council is referred to [a matter] by:
• the President of Faso;
• the Prime Minister;
• the President of the National Assembly;
• one-tenth (1/10) at least of the members of the National Assembly.
In addition, any citizen may refer [a matter] to the Constitutional Council concerning the constitutionality of the laws, either directly, or through the procedure of the pleadings [exception] of unconstitutionality invoked in a matter [affaire] which concerns them before a jurisdiction. This must postpone [the matter] until the decision of the Constitutional Council which must intervene within a maximum period of time of thirty days counting from its referral [to the matter].
The Constitutional Council can refer itself to any questions relative to its competence, if it judges it necessary. (Art. 157) - French
Le Conseil constitutionnel est saisi par :
• le Président du Faso;
• le Premier ministre;
• le Président de l'Assemblée nationale;
• un dixième (1/10) au moins des membres de chaque chambre du Parlement.
En outre, tout citoyen peut saisir le Conseil constitutionnel sur la constitutionnalité des lois, soit directement, soit par la procédure de l’exception d’inconstitutionnalité invoquée dans une affaire qui le concerne devant une juridiction. Celle-ci doit surseoir jusqu’à la décision du Conseil constitutionnel qui doit intervenir dans un délai maximum de trente jours à compter de sa saisine.
Le Conseil constitutionnel peut se saisir de toutes questions relevant de sa compétence s’il le juge nécessaire. (Art. 157)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English(1) A person who alleges that—
(a) any Act of the National Assembly or anything done under the authority of an Act of the National Assembly; or
(b) any act or omission of any person or authority, is inconsistent with or is in contravention of a provision of this Constitution, may bring an action in a court of competent jurisdiction for a declaration to that effect.
… (Sec. 5)