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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
(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
- English…
(5) Cabinet may seek an opinion from the Supreme Court on any matter concerning the interpretation or application of this Constitution. (Sec. 91) - iTaukei…
(5) Na Boseyaco me taro ivakasala i na Mataveilewai Cecere ena vuku ni kena vakamacalataki na Yavunivakavulewa qo. (Sec. 91)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English1. The Supreme Court of Justice is the highest court of law and the guarantor of a uniform enforcement of the law, and has jurisdiction throughout the national territory.
2. It is also incumbent on the Supreme Court of Justice to administer justice on matters of legal, constitutional and electoral nature.
… (Sec. 124) - Tetum1. Tribunál Supremu Justisa nian mak órgaun boot liu iha órgaun ierarkia tribunál judisiál hotu-hotu ninian, no mós fó garantia atu aplika lei oin ida de’it ho jurisdisaun iha nasaun tomak nia laran.
2. Kompete mós ba Tribunál Supremu Justisa nian atu administra justisa ba buat ne’ebé konaba lia jurídiku-konstitusionál no eleitorál.
… (Art. 124) - Portuguese1. O Supremo Tribunal de Justiça é o mais alto órgão da hierarquia dos tribunais judiciais e o garante da aplicação uniforme da lei, com jurisdição em todo o território nacional.
2. Ao Supremo Tribunal de Justiça compete também administrar justiça em matérias de natureza jurídico-constitucional e eleitoral.
… (Art. 124)
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
- English(1) Subject to Subsection (4), the Supreme Court shall, on application by an authority referred to in Subsection (3), give its opinion on any question relating to the interpretation or application of any provision of a Constitutional Law, including (but without limiting the generality of that expression)any question as to the validity of a law or proposed law.
…
(3) The following authorities only are entitled to make application under Subsection (1):-
(a) the Parliament; and
(b) the Head of State, acting with, and in accordance with, the advice of the National Executive Council; and
(c) the Law Officers of Papua New Guinea; and
(d) the Law Reform Commission; and
(e) the Ombudsman Commission; and
(ea) a Provincial Assembly or a Local-level Government; and
(eb) a provincial executive; and
(ec) a body established by a Constitutional Law or an Act of the Parliament specifically for the settlement of disputes between the National Government and Provincial Governments or Local-level Governments, or between Provincial Governments, or between Provincial Governments and Local-level Governments, or Local-level Governments; and
(f) the Speaker, in accordance with Section 137(3) (Acts of Indemnity).
(4) Subject to any Act of the Parliament, the Rules of Court of the Supreme Court may make provision in respect of matters relating to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under this section, and in particular as to-
(a) the form and contents of questions to be decided by the Court; and
(b) the provision of counsel adequate to enable full argument before the Court of any question; and
(c) cases and circumstances in which the Court may decline to give an opinion.
… (Sec. 19)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English1. The Supreme Court shall be the court of last resort; and shall be presided over by the Chief Justice.
2. The Supreme Court shall have:
a. sole jurisdiction of interpreting this Constitution and the constitutionality of any law enacted or any action taken by government;
b. sole jurisdiction of hearing and adjudicating upon charges against a President who has been impeached by the National Assembly pursuant to the provisions of Article 41(6)(a) and (b) hereof; and
c. the power of hearing and adjudicating cases appealed from lower courts pursuant to law.
… (Art. 49)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
1. The Constitutional Court decides on:
a) compatibility of the law with the Constitution or with international agreements, as foreseen in Article 122;
b) compatibility of international agreements with the Constitution prior to their ratification;
c) compatibility of normative acts of the central and local bodies with the Constitution and international agreements;
ç) conflicts of competencies between state powers, as well as between central government and local government;
d) constitutionality of political parties and other political organizations, as well as their activity, as per Article 9 of this Constitution;
dh) dismissal from duty of the President of the Republic and finding of his/her inability to exercise his/her functions;
e) matters connected to the electability and noncompliance in assuming the functions of the President of the Republic, of deputies, of functionaries of bodies foreseen in the Constitution, as well as to the verification of their election;
ë) constitutionality of the referendum and verification of its results;
f) conclusive adjudication of the complaints of individuals against the acts of the public powers or judicial acts impairing the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, after all effective legal means for the protection of these rights have been exhausted, unless provided otherwise by the Constitution.
2. The Constitutional Court, when recourse being sought for examining a law on the revision of the Constitution, approved by the Assembly according to Article 177, shall control only the compliance with the procedural requirements foreseen in the Constitution. (Art. 131) - Albanian
1. Gjykata Kushtetuese vendos për:
a) pajtueshmërinë e ligjit me Kushtetutën ose me marrëveshjet ndërkombëtare, siç parashikohet në nenin 122;
b) pajtueshmërinë e marrëveshjeve ndërkombëtare me Kushtetutën para ratifikimit të tyre;
c) pajtueshmërinë e akteve normative të organeve qendrore dhe vendore me Kushtetutën dhe me marrëveshjet ndërkombëtare;
ç) mosmarrëveshjet e kompetencës ndërmjet pushteteve, si dhe ndërmjet pushtetit qendror dhe qeverisjes vendore;
d) kushtetutshmërinë e partive dhe të organizatave të tjera politike, si dhe të veprimtarisë së tyre, sipas nenit 9 të kësaj Kushtetute;
dh) shkarkimin nga detyra të Presidentit të Republikës dhe vërtetimin e pamundësisë së ushtrimit të funksioneve të tij;
e) çështjet që lidhen me zgjedhshmërinë dhe papajtueshmëritë në ushtrimin e funksioneve të Presidentit të Republikës, të deputetëve, të funksionarëve të organeve të parashikuara në Kushtetutë, si dhe me verifikimin e zgjedhjes së tyre.
ë) kushtetutshmerinë e referendumit dhe verifikimin e rezultateve të tij;
f) gjykimin përfundimtar të ankesave të individëve kundër çdo akti të pushtetit publik ose vendimi gjyqësor që cenon të drejtat dhe liritë themelore të garantuara në Kushtetutë, pasi të jenë shteruar të gjitha mjetet juridike efektive për mbrojtjen e këtyre të drejtave, përveçse kur parashikohet ndryshe në Kushtetutë.
2. Gjykata Kushtetuese, në rastin kur vihet në lëvizje për shqyrtimin e një ligji për rishikimin e Kushtetutës, të miratuar nga Kuvendi sipas nenit 177, kontrollon vetëm respektimin e procedurës së parashikuar nga Kushtetuta. (Neni 131)
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)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
The Constitutional Court is an independent institution responsible for assuring respect for the Constitution.
The Constitutional Court is the regulatory organ of the functioning of the institutions and of the activity of the public powers.
The Constitutional Court establishes the rules concerning its functioning. (Art. 185) - Arabic
المحكمة الدستورية مؤسسة مستقلة مكلفة بضمان احترام الدّستور.
تضبط المحكمة الدستورية سير المؤسسات ونشاط السلطات العمومية.
تحدد المحكمة الدستورية قواعد عملها. (المــادة 185) - French
La Cour constitutionnelle est une institution indépendante chargée d’assurer le respect de la Constitution.
La Cour constitutionnelle est l’organe régulateur du fonctionnement des institutions et de l’activité des pouvoirs publics.
La Cour constitutionnelle fixe les règles relatives à son fonctionnement. (Art. 185)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe Supreme Court of Justice will have a Constitutional Chamber [Sala de lo Constitucional], to which it will correspond to take cognizance of and resolve the complaints [demandas] of unconstitutionality of the laws, decrees and regulations, the processes of amparo, [and] habeas corpus, [the] conflicts [controversias] between the Legislative Organ and [the] Executive Organ to which Article 138 refers, and [the] causes mentioned in the 7th attribution of Article 182 of this Constitution.
… (Art. 174) - SpanishLa Corte Suprema de Justicia tendrá una Sala de lo Constitucional, a la cual corresponderá conocer y resolverlas demandas de inconstitucionalidad de las leyes, decretos y reglamentos, los procesos de amparo, el habeas corpus, las controversias entre el Órgano Legislativo y el Órgano Ejecutivo a que se refiere el Art. 138 y las causas mencionadas en la atribución 7a. del Art. 182 de esta Constitución.
… (Art. 174)