Constitution In 36 editions of 36.

• 8 September 1963;
• revised 19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976;
• revised 3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, 28 November 1996, and 12 November 2008

adopted by People's Assembly 25 August 1992

adopted by referendum 2 December 1990

March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

2 June 1991 approved by referendum, 11 June 1991 formally adopted; last amended January 2002

28 February 2005; ratified by popular referendum

• 25 September 1992;
• a major revision on 23 November 1995 substantially increased the powers of the president;
• a 1999 revision created the position of national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica)

20 May 1972 approved by referendum, adopted 2 June 1972; revised January 1996

ratified by popular referendum 5 December 2004; effective 27 December 2004

passed by referendum 31 March 1996; a June 2005 referendum removed constitutional term limits

23 December 2001

18 February 2006

approved by referendum 20 January 2002

approved by referendum 23 July 2000

multiparty constitution approved by referendum 4 September 1992

11 September 1971; amended 22 May 1980, 25 May 2005, and 26 March 2007

approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995

a transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet implemented

signed by the King in July 2005 went into effect on 8 February 2006

ratified 8 December 1994, effective 22 August 1995

adopted 14 March 1991

approved by national referendum 8 August 1996; effective 16 January 1997

approved 28 April 1992

23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)

16 May 1984; amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993, 9 June 1993, and in 1996

• 12 December 1963;
• amended as a republic 1964;
• reissued with amendments 1979, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1997, 2001;
• note - a new draft constitution was defeated by popular referendum in 2005

2 April 1993

6 January 1986

• none;
• note - following the September 1969 military overthrow of the Libyan government, the Revolutionary Command Council replaced the existing constitution with the Constitutional Proclamation in December 1969;
• in March 1977, Libya adopted the Declaration of the Establishment of the People's Authority

19 August 1992 by national referendum

18 May 1994

adopted 12 January 1992

12 July 1991

12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992

4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

10 March 1972; revised 4 September 1992, amended (to create bicameral legislature) September 1996

30 November 1990

ratified 9 February 1990, effective 12 March 1990

new constitution adopted 18 July 1999

new constitution adopted 5 May 1999; effective 29 May 1999

new constitution passed by referendum 26 May 2003

1 January 1989

approved March 1990, effective 10 September 1990

adopted 7 January 2001

18 June 1993

1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times

25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979

note: the formation of transitional governing institutions, known as the Transitional Federal Government, is currently ongoing

10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by then President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 4 February 1997

• constitution implemented on 30 June 1998, partially suspended 12 December 1999 by President BASHIR;
• under the CPA, Interim National Constitution ratified 5 July 2005;
• Constitution of Southern Sudan signed December 2005

25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984

multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the Republic 1 July 1992, adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992

1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002

8 October 1995; in 2005 the constitution was amended removing presidential term limits and legalizing a multiparty political system

24 August 1991; amended in 1996 to establish presidential term limits

21 December 1979

5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944; amended many times

new constitution drafted 14 December 2003-4 January 2004; signed 16 January 2004

adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995; amendments adopted through a nationwide referendum 27 November 2005

adopted 12 November 1995

• 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972;
• suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986;
• amended many times

ratified 23 July 2008

most recent promulgation 4 December 1982

adopted 24 August 1995

26 January 1950; amended many times

3 May 1947

first post-independence constitution adopted 28 January 1993; new constitution adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995

adopted 1948; completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992, and September 1998

• 17 July 1948;
• note - amended or rewritten nine times;
• current constitution approved on 29 October 1987

• adopted 5 May 1993;
• note - amendment proposed by President Askar AKAYEV and passed in a national referendum on 2 February 2003 significantly expanded the powers of the president at the expense of the legislature;
• during large-scale demonstrations in November 2006, President BAKIEV and the opposition negotiated a new constitution granting greater powers to the parliament and the government;
• amendments added on 30 December 2006 redistributed some power back to the president, but both November and December 2006 versions were annulled in September 2007, and a new version was approved by referendum on 21 October 2007;
• the BAKIEV-initiated referendum was criticized by Western observers for voting irregularities, particularly ballot stuffing

new constitution ratified 7 August 2008

12 February 1992

• 9 November 1990;
• note - a new interim constitution was promulgated in January 2007;
• the November 2006 peace agreement calls for the election of a Constituent Assembly to draft a new permanent constitution

• 12 April 1973;
• suspended 5 July 1977, restored 30 December 1985;
• suspended 15 October 1999, restored in stages in 2002;
• amended 31 December 2003;
• suspended 3 November 2007;
• restored on 15 December 2007

adopted 12 December 1993

adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978

6 November 1994

adopted 18 May 1992

adopted 8 December 1992

Anguilla Constitutional Order 1 April 1982; amended 1990

1 November 1981

1 January 1986

10 July 1973

30 November 1966

21 September 1981

13 June 2007

1959; revised 1962, 1972, and 1994

7 November 1949

24 February 1976; amended July 1992 and June 2002

3 November 1978

28 November 1966; amended 25 July 2002

20 December 1983

19 December 1973

• 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986;
• note - suspended 25 May 1993 by former President Jorge SERRANO;
• reinstated 5 June 1993 following ouster of president;
• amended November 1993

• approved March 1987;
• suspended June 1988 with most articles reinstated March 1989;
• constitutional government ousted in a military coup in September 1991, although in October 1991, military government claimed to be observing the constitution;
• returned to constitutional rule in October 1994;
• constitution, while technically in force between 2004-2006, was not enforced;
• returned to constitutional rule in May 2006

11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended many times

6 August 1962

effective 19 December 1989

29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended

9 January 1987; reforms in 1995, 2000, and 2005

11 October 1972; major reforms adopted 1978, 1983, 1994, and 2004

• ratified 3 March 1952;
• approved by US Congress 3 July 1952;
• effective 25 July 1952

4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

19 September 1983

22 February 1979

4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

27 October 1979

1 August 1976

Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2006 (effective 9 August 2006)

Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954

adopted by popular referendum on 22 November 1998; promulgated 28 November 1998

Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991, approved by referendum 14 March 1993, effective 28 April 1993

• 1920;
• revised 1929;
• reinstated 1 May 1945;
• note - during the period 1 May 1934-1 May 1945 there was a fascist (corporative) constitution in place

• 15 March 1994;
• revised by national referendum of 24 November 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and became effective 27 November 1996;
• revised again 17 October 2004 removing presidential term limits

• 7 February 1831;
• amended many times;
• revised 14 July 1993 to create a federal state

the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December 1995 in Paris, included a new constitution now in force; note - each of the entities also has its own constitution

adopted 12 July 1991

adopted on 22 December 1990; revised 2000, 2001

ratified 16 December 1992, effective 1 January 1993

5 June 1953 constitution allowed for a unicameral legislature and a female chief of state

adopted 28 June 1992

based on a series of treaties:

• the Treaty of Paris, which set up the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951;
• the Treaties of Rome, which set up the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) in 1957;
• the Single European Act in 1986;
• the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht) in 1992;
• the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997;
• and the Treaty of Nice in 2003;
• note - a new draft Constitutional Treaty, signed on 29 October 2004 in Rome, gave member states two years for ratification either by parliamentary vote or national referendum before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006;
• defeat in French and Dutch referenda in May-June 2005 dealt a severe setback to the ratification process;
• in June 2007, the European Council agreed on a clear and concise mandate for an Intergovernmental Conference to form a political agreement and put it into legal form;
• this agreement, known as the Reform Treaty, would have served as a constitution and was presented to the European Council in October 2007 for individual country ratification;
• it was rejected by Irish voters in June 2008, again stalling the ratification process

5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

1 March 2000

adopted by referendum 28 September 1958, effective 4 October 1958

note: amended concerning election of president in 1962; amended to comply with provisions of 1992 EC Maastricht Treaty, 1997 Amsterdam Treaty, 2003 Treaty of Nice; amended to tighten immigration laws in 1993; amended in 2000 to change the seven-year presidential term to a five-year term; amended in 2005 to make the EU constitutional treaty compatible with the Constitution of France and to ensure that the decision to ratify EU accession treaties would be made by referendum

23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the united Germany 3 October 1990

5 June 2006; came into force 2 January 2007

11 June 1975; amended March 1986 and April 2001

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

new Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope JOHN PAUL II on 26 November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaces the first Fundamental Law of 1929)

• 18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949;
• revised 19 April 1972;
• 18 October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and also established the principle of parliamentary oversight;
• 1997 amendment streamlined the judicial system

adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite; effective 29 December 1937

unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does not embody the unwritten Manx Constitution

passed 11 December 1947, effective 1 January 1948; amended many times

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

ratified 9 April 2008; effective 15 June 2008

• 15 February 1922;
• restored to force by the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Latvia adopted by the Supreme Council on 21 August 1991;
• multiple amendments since

5 October 1921

adopted 25 October 1992

17 October 1868; occasional revisions

1964 constitution; amended many times

new constitution adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994; replaced old Soviet constitution of 1979

17 December 1962

19 October 2007 (approved by the Assembly)

adopted 1815; amended many times, most recently in 2002

• adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991;
• amended November 2001 by a series of new constitutional amendments strengthening minority rights and in 2005 with amendments related to the judiciary

17 May 1814; amended many times

• adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997;
• passed by national referendum 25 May 1997;
• effective 17 October 1997

• adopted 2 April 1976;
• note - subsequent revisions of the Constitution placed the military under strict civilian control, trimmed the powers of the president, and laid the groundwork for a stable, pluralistic liberal democracy;
• as well, they allowed for the privatization of nationalized firms and the government-owned communications media

8 December 1991; revision effective 29 October 2003

8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions of a constitution

adopted 8 November 2006; effective 10 November 2006

• ratified 1 September 1992, effective 1 January 1993;
• changed in September 1998 to allow direct election of the president;
• amended February 2001 to allow Slovakia to apply for NATO and EU membership

adopted 23 December 1991

approved by legislature 31 October 1978; passed by referendum 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978

1 January 1975

revision of Constitution of 1874 approved by the Federal Parliament 18 December 1998, adopted by referendum 18 April 1999, officially entered into force 1 January 2000

adopted 28 June 1996

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document

adopted 14 February 2002

16 August 1960

note: from December 1963, the Turkish Cypriots no longer participated in the government; negotiations to create the basis for a new or revised constitution to govern the island and for better relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held intermittently since the mid-1960s; in 1975, following the 1974 Turkish intervention, Turkish Cypriots created their own constitution and governing bodies within the "Turkish Federated State of Cyprus," which became the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)" when the Turkish Cypriots declared their independence in 1983; a new constitution for the "TRNC" passed by referendum on 5 May 1985, although the "TRNC" remains unrecognized by any country other than Turkey

Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document

2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership

ratified on 15 October 2005 (subject to review by the Constitutional Review Committee and a possible public referendum )

• no formal constitution;
• some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law;
• note - since May 2003 the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee of the Knesset has been working on a draft constitution

1 January 1952; amended many times

approved and promulgated 11 November 1962

23 May 1926; amended a number of times, most recently Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of October 1989

none; note - on 6 November 1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a royal decree promulgating a basic law considered by the government to be a constitution which, among other things, clarifies the royal succession, provides for a prime minister, bars ministers from holding interests in companies doing business with the government, establishes a bicameral legislature, and guarantees basic civil liberties for Omani citizens

ratified by public referendum on 29 April 2003, endorsed by the Amir on 8 June 2004, effective on 9 June 2005

governed according to Islamic law; the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was promulgated by royal decree in 1992

13 March 1973

7 November 1982

2 December 1971; made permanent in 1996

16 May 1991; amended 29 September 1994 and February 2001

8 June 1968; amended 1989 and 2003

• made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions, and traditions;
• the written part of the constitution consists of the Constitution Act of 29 March 1867, which created a federation of four provinces, and the Constitution Act of 17 April 1982, which transferred formal control over the constitution from Britain to Canada, and added a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as procedures for constitutional amendments

5 February 1917

4 October 1958 (French Constitution)