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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) The Constitutional Court pronounces judgment on the unconstitutionality
1. of laws
a) on application of a court;
b) ex officio in so far as he will have to apply such a law in a suit pending before him;
c) on application by a person who alleges to have infringement of his rights directly by unconstitutionality, if the ordinance has become effective without a judicial decision having been rendered or a ruling having been rendered has become effective for this person;
d) on application by a person who, as a party in a legal matter that has been decided by a court of justice of first instance, alleges infringement of his rights because of the application of an unconstitutional law, on the occasion of an appeal filed against that decision;
(2) of federal laws also on application by a Provincial Government, a third of the members of the National Council or a third of the members of the Federal Council.
(3) of provincial legislation also at the request of the Federal Government or, if the constitutional law of a province so provides, at the request of a third of the members of the Provincial Parliament.
… (Art. 140) - German
(1) Der Verfassungsgerichtshof erkennt über Verfassungswidrigkeit
1. von Gesetzen
a) auf Antrag eines Gerichtes;
b) von Amts wegen, wenn er das Gesetz in einer bei ihm anhängigen Rechtssache anzuwenden hätte;
c) auf Antrag einer Person, die unmittelbar durch diese Verfassungswidrigkeit in ihren Rechten verletzt zu sein behauptet, wenn das Gesetz ohne Fällung einer gerichtlichen Entscheidung oder ohne Erlassung eines Bescheides für diese Person wirksam geworden ist;
d) auf Antrag einer Person, die als Partei einer von einem ordentlichen Gericht in erster Instanz entschiedenen Rechtssache wegen Anwendung eines verfassungswidrigen Gesetzes in ihren Rechten verletzt zu sein behauptet, aus Anlass eines gegen diese Entscheidung erhobenen Rechtsmittels;
2. von Bundesgesetzen auch auf Antrag einer Landesregierung, eines Drittels der Mitglieder des Nationalrates oder eines Drittels der Mitglieder des Bundesrates;
3. von Landesgesetzen auch auf Antrag der Bundesregierung oder, wenn dies landesverfassungsgesetzlich vorgesehen ist, auf Antrag eines Drittels der Mitglieder des Landtages.
… (Art. 140)
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[,]
- decides obligatorily on:
• the constitutionality of the organic laws before their promulgation;
• the Internal Regulations of the National Assembly, of the High Authority for Broadcasting and of Communication and of the Economic and Social Council prior to their implementation, as well their conformity with the Constitution;
• the constitutionality of the laws and of the regulatory acts supposedly infringing the fundamental rights of the human person and the public freedoms and in general, on the violation of the rights of the human person;
• the conflicts of attributions between the institutions of the State.
• the disputes of the election of the duo President of the Republic and Vice President of the Republic and of the members of the National Assembly;
- sees to the regularity of the election of the duo President of the Republic and Vice President of the Republic; examines the complaints, decides on the irregularities that it has found, by itself, [as] arising and proclaims the results of the ballot; decides on the regularity of the referendum and proclaim the results of it;
- decides, in the case of dispute on the regularity of the legislative elections;
- forms [fait], of right, [its] part of the High Court of Justice with the exception of its President. (Art. 117) - French
La Cour constitutionnelle
- statue obligatoirement sur :
• la constitutionnalité des lois organiques avant leur promulgation ;
• les règlements intérieurs de l’Assemblée nationale, de la Haute Autorité de l’Audiovisuel et de la Communication et du Conseil économique et social avant leur mise en application, quant à leur conformité à la Constitution ;
• la constitutionnalité des lois et des actes réglementaires censés porter atteinte aux droits fondamentaux de la personne humaine et aux libertés publiques en général, sur la violation des droits de la personne humaines ;
• les conflits d’attributions entre les institutions de l’Etat ;
• le contentieux de l’élection du duo Président de la République et vice-président de la République et des membres de l’Assemblée nationale ;
- veille à la régularité de l’élection du duo Président de la République et vice-président de la république ; examine les réclamations, statue sur les irrégularités qu’elle aurait pu, par ellemême, relever et proclame les résultats du scrutin ; statue sur la régularité du référendum et en proclame les résultats ;
- statue, en cas de contestation, sur la régularité des élections législatives ;
- fait de droit partie de la Haute Cour de justice à l’exception de son président. (Art. 117)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English...
(4) Appeals shall lie from the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court—
(a) as of right in any case involving the interpretation or application of this Constitution;
(b) in any other case in which the Supreme Court, or the Court of Appeal, certifies that a matter of general public importance is involved, subject to clause (5).
… (Art. 163) - Swahili...
(4) Rufaa itakatwa kutoka Mahakama ya Rufaa kwenda Mahakama Kuu-
(a) kama ilivyo kwa haki katika kesi yoyote inayohusisha ufafanuzi au matumizi ya Katiba hii;
(b) katika kesi nyingine yoyote ambayo Mahakama Kuu, au Mahakama ya Rufaa, inathibitisha kwamba suala la umuhimu kwa umma linahusika, kwa kuzingatia ibara ya (5).
… (Kifungu cha 163)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishThe Chancellor of Justice is a government official who scrutinises legislative instruments of the legislative and executive branch of government and of local authorities for conformity with the Constitution and the laws, and who is independent in discharging his or her duties.
… (Sec. 139) - EstonianÕiguskantsler on oma tegevuses sõltumatu ametiisik, kes teostab järelevalvet seadusandliku ja täidesaatva riigivõimu ning kohaliku omavalitsuse õigustloovate aktide põhiseadusele ja seadustele vastavuse üle.
… (§ 139)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishA constitutional law will develop the matters relative to [the recourse of] amparo, personal exhibition and the constitutionality of the laws. (Art. 276)
- SpanishUna ley constitucional desarrollará lo relativo al amparo, a la exhibición personal y a la constitucionalidad de las leyes. (Art. 276)
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 Constitutional Court decides obligatorily on:
– the constitutionality of the organic laws and of the laws before their promulgation;
– the internal regulations of the National Assembly, of the High Council of the Collectivities and of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council before their entry into application as to their conformity with the Constitution;
– the conflicts of attribution between the institutions of the State;
– the regularity of the presidential elections, legislative [elections] and the operations of [the] referendum of which it proclaims the results. (Art. 86) - FrenchLa Cour Constitutionnelle statue obligatoirement sur :
• la constitutionnalité des lois organiques et des lois avant leur promulgation;
• les règlements intérieurs de l'Assemblée Nationale, du Haut Conseil des Collectivités et du Conseil Economique, Social et Culturel avant leur mise en application quant à leur conformité à la Constitution;
• les conflits d'attribution entre les institutions de l'Etat;
• la régularité des sélections présidentielles, législatives et des opérations de référendum dont elle proclame les résultats. (Art. 86)
Jurisdiction and Access
- EnglishIn Latvia, there shall be a Constitutional Court, which, within its jurisdiction as provided for by law, shall review cases concerning the conformity of laws with the Constitution, as well as other cases conferred within the jurisdiction thereof by law. The Constitutional Court is entitled to declare laws or other enactments or parts thereof invalid.
… (Art. 85) - LatvianLatvijā pastāv Satversmes tiesa, kas likumā noteiktās kompetences ietvaros izskata lietas par likumu atbilstību Satversmei, kā arī citas ar likumu tās kompetencē nodotās lietas. Satversmes tiesa ir tiesīga atzīt par spēkā neesošiem likumus un citus aktus vai to daļas.
... (Art. 85)
Jurisdiction and Access
- English
The Recourse of Unconstitutionality is established against any law, decree or regulation that is opposed to that provided for by the Political Constitution, [and] may be interposed by any citizen. (Art. 187)
- Spanish
Se establece el Recurso por Inconstitucionalidad contra toda ley, decreto o reglamento que se oponga a lo prescrito por la Constitución Política, el cual podrá ser interpuesto por cualquier ciudadano. (Art. 187)