SEARCH DATABASE
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) The Constitutional Court—
(a) is the highest court in all constitutional matters, and its decisions on those matters bind all other courts;
(b) decides only constitutional matters and issues connected with decisions on constitutional matters, in particular references and applications under section 131(8)(b) and paragraph 9(2) of the Fifth Schedule3; and
(c) makes the final decision whether a matter is a constitutional matter or whether an issue is connected with a decision on a constitutional matter.
(2) Subject to this Constitution, only the Constitutional Court may—
(a) advise on the constitutionality of any proposed legislation, but may do so only where the legislation concerned has been referred to it in terms of this Constitution;
…
(d) determine whether Parliament or the President has failed to fulfil a constitutional obligation.
(3) The Constitutional Court makes the final decision whether an Act of Parliament or conduct of the President or Parliament is constitutional, and must confirm any order of constitutional invalidity made by another court before that order has any force.
(4) An Act of Parliament may provide for the exercise of jurisdiction by the Constitutional Court and for that purpose may confer the power to make rules of court.
(5) Rules of the Constitutional Court must allow a person, when it is in the interests of justice and with or without leave of the Constitutional Court—
(a) to bring a constitutional matter directly to the Constitutional Court;
(b) to appeal directly to the Constitutional Court from any other court;
(c) to appear as a friend of the court. (Sec. 167)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
The Constitutional Court pronounces whether state treaties are unlawful. Art. 140 shall apply to political, to law-modifying and to law-amending state treaties and to state treaties modifying the Treaty basis of the European Union, Art. 139 to all other state treaties with the following proviso,
... (Art. 140a) - German
Der Verfassungsgerichtshof erkennt über Rechtswidrigkeit von Staatsverträgen. Auf die politischen, gesetzändernden und gesetzesergänzenden Staatsverträge und auf die Staatsverträge, durch die die vertraglichen Grundlagen der Europäischen Union geändert werden, ist Art. 140, auf alle anderen Staatsverträge Art. 139 sinngemäß mit folgenden Maßgaben anzuwenden:
... (Art. 140a)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
The Constitutional Court is the highest jurisdiction of the State in constitutional matters. It is the judge of the constitutionality of the law and it guarantees the fundamental rights of the human person and the public freedoms. It is the regulatory organ of the functioning of the institutions and of the activity of the public powers. (Art. 114)
- French
La Cour constitutionnelle est la plus haute juridiction de l'Etat en matière constitutionnelle. Elle est juge de la constitutionnalité de la loi et elle garantit les droits fondamentaux de la personne humaine et les libertés publiques. Elle est l'organe régulateur du fonctionnement des institutions et de l'activité des pouvoirs publics. (Art. 114)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English…
III. Constitutional justice is imparted by the Pluri-National Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional Plurinacional).
… (Art. 179) - Spanish…
III. La justicia constitucional se ejerce por el Tribunal Constitucional Plurinacional.
… (Art. 179)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishIf the Chancellor of Justice finds that a legislative instrument passed by the legislative or executive branch of government or by a local authority is in conflict with the Constitution or a law, he or she makes a proposal to the body which passed the instrument to bring it into conformity with the Constitution or the law within twenty days. If the instrument is not brought into conformity with the Constitution or the law within twenty days, the Chancellor of Justice refers the matter to the Supreme Court who may declare the instrument invalid. (Sec. 142)
- EstonianKui õiguskantsler leiab, et seadusandliku või täidesaatva riigivõimu või kohaliku omavalitsuse õigustloov akt on põhiseaduse või seadusega vastuolus, teeb ta akti vastuvõtnud organile ettepaneku viia see kahekümne päeva jooksul põhiseaduse või seadusega kooskõlla.
Kui akt ei ole kahekümne päeva jooksul põhiseaduse või seadusega kooskõlla viidud, teeb õiguskantsler Riigikohtule ettepaneku tunnistada see akt kehtetuks. (§ 142)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English1. Everyone shall have the right to request from the Constitutional Court, by a writ of amparo, the protection of his or her constitutionally recognized fundamental rights, liberties and guarantees, under the terms of the law and in accordance with the provisions contemplated in the following subparagraphs:
a) A writ of amparo may only be filed against acts or omissions of public authorities, that are injurious to the fundamental rights, liberties and guarantees, once all other means of ordinary appeal have been exhausted;
b) A writ of amparo may be requested through a simple petition; it would be of an urgent nature, and its procedure must be based on the principle of summary treatment.
... (Art. 20) - Portuguese1. A todos os indivíduos é reconhecido o direito de requerer ao Tribunal Constitucional, através de recurso de amparo, a tutela dos seus direitos, liberdades e garantias fundamentais, constitucionalmente reconhecidos, nos termos da lei e com observância do disposto nas alíneas seguintes:
a) O recurso de amparo só pode ser interposto contra actos ou omissões dos poderes públicos lesivos dos direitos, liberdades e garantias fundamentais, depois de esgotadas todas as vias de recurso ordinário;
b) O recurso de amparo pode ser requerido em simples peti- ção, tem carácter urgente e o seu processamento deve ser baseado no princípio da sumariedade.
... (Art. 20)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe President of the Republic refers the Constitutional Council to a matter when he deems that a law is contrary to this Constitution. (Art. 35)
- Arabicيحيل رئيس الجمهورية المجلس الدستوري على مسألة عندما يعتبر أن القانون يتنافى مع هذا الدستور. (المادة 35)
- FrenchLe président de la République saisit le Conseil constitutionnel lorsqu'il estime qu'une loi est contraire à la présente Constitution. (Art. 35)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe Constitutional Court, at the request of the President of the Republic, of the President of the National Assembly, of at least fifteen Deputies, of the Prime Minister, of the Prosecutor General of the Republic and, of the Ombudsman, shall consider and declare:
a) The unconstitutionality of any rules or resolutions of a content that is normative and material or specific and concrete;
b) The illegality of rules and resolutions referred to in the subparagraph above. (Art. 280) - PortugueseO Tribunal Constitucional, a pedido do Presidente da República, do Presidente da Assembleia Nacional, de pelo menos quinze Deputados, do Primeiro Ministro, do Procurador-Geral da República e do Provedor de Justiça, aprecia e declara:
a) A inconstitucionalidade de quaisquer normas ou resoluções de conteúdo material normativo ou individual e concreto;
b) A ilegalidade das normas e resoluções referidas na alínea anterior. (Art. 280)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe Supreme Constitutional Court shall be solely competent to decide on the constitutionality of laws and regulations, to interpret legislative provisions, and to adjudicate on disputes pertaining to the affairs of its members, on jurisdictional disputes between judicial bodies and entities that have judicial jurisdiction, on disputes pertaining to the implementation of two final contradictory judgments, one of which is rendered by a judicial body or an authority with judicial jurisdiction and the other is rendered by another, and on disputes pertaining to the execution of its judgments and decisions.
The law shall determine the Court’s other competences and regulate the procedures that are to be followed before the Court. (Art. 192) - Arabicتتولى المحكمة الدّستورية العليا دون غيرها الرّقابة القضائيّة على دستوريّة القوانين، واللّوائح، وتفسير النّصوص التّشريعية، والفصل فى المنازعات المتعلّقة بشؤون أعضائها، وفى تنازع الاختصاص بين جهات القضاء والهيئات ذات الاختصاص القضائى، والفصل فى النزاع الذي يقوم بشأن تنفيذ حكمين نهائيين متناقضين صادر أحدهما من أى جهة من جهات القضاء، أو هيئة ذات اختصاص قضائيّ، والآخر من جهة أخرى ، والمنازعات المتعلّقة بتنفيذ أحكامها، والقرارات الصّادرة منها.
يضبط القانون الاختصاصات الأخرى للمحكمة، وينظّم الإجراءات التى تتّبع أمامها. (المادّة 192)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe special proceedings for protection shall be admissible against those rulings or definitive judgments where there has been a violation, by deed or omission, of the rights enshrined in the Constitution, and they shall be filed with the Constitutional Court. This appeal shall be admissible when regular and special appeals have been exhausted within the legal framework, unless the failure to file these resources was not attributable to the negligence of the person bearing the constitutional right that was infringed. (Art. 94)
- SpanishLa acción extraordinaria de protección procederá contra sentencias o autos definitivos en los que se haya violado por acción u omisión derechos reconocidos en la Constitución, y se interpondrá ante la Corte Constitucional. El recurso procederá cuando se hayan agotado los recursos ordinarios y extraordinarios dentro del término legal, a menos que la falta de interposición de estos recursos no fuera atribuible a la negligencia de la persona titular del derecho constitucional vulnerado. (Art. 94)