|
Country
|
Constitution
|
|
Afghanistan
|
new constitution drafted 14 December 2003 - 4 January 2004; signed 16 January 2004
|
|
Albania
|
adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998
|
|
Algeria
|
19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, and 28 November 1996
|
|
American Samoa
|
ratified 2 June 1966, effective 1 July 1967
|
|
Andorra
|
Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991, approved by referendum 14 March 1993, effective 4 May 1993
|
|
Angola
|
11 November 1975; revised 7 January 1978, 11 August 1980, 6 March 1991, and 26 August 1992; note - new constitution has not yet been approved
|
|
Anguilla
|
Anguilla Constitutional Order 1 April 1982; amended 1990
|
|
Antigua and Barbuda
|
1 November 1981
|
|
Argentina
|
1 May 1853; revised August 1994
|
|
Armenia
|
adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995
|
|
Aruba
|
1 January 1986
|
|
Australia
|
9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
|
|
Austria
|
1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945)
|
|
Azerbaijan
|
adopted 12 November 1995
|
|
Bahamas, The
|
10 July 1973
|
|
Bahrain
|
new constitution 14 February 2002
|
|
Bangladesh
|
4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972; suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986; amended many times
|
|
Barbados
|
30 November 1966
|
|
Belarus
|
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
|
|
Belgium
|
7 February 1831; amended many times; revised 14 July 1993 to create a federal state
|
|
Belize
|
21 September 1981
|
|
Benin
|
December 1990
|
|
Bermuda
|
8 June 1968; amended 1989 and 2003
|
|
Bhutan
|
no written constitution or bill of rights; note - in 2001 the King commissioned the drafting of a constitution, and in November 2004 presented a draft to the Council of Ministers; now awaiting referendum
|
|
Bolivia
|
2 February 1967; revised in August 1994
|
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December 1995, included a new constitution now in force; note - each of the entities also has its own constitution
|
|
Botswana
|
March 1965, effective 30 September 1966
|
|
Brazil
|
5 October 1988
|
|
British Virgin Islands
|
1 June 1977
|
|
Brunei
|
29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)
|
|
Bulgaria
|
adopted 12 July 1991
|
|
Burkina Faso
|
2 June 1991 approved by referendum, 11 June 1991 formally adopted; amended April 2000
|
|
Burma
|
3 January 1974; suspended since 18 September 1988; national convention convened in 1993 to draft a new constitution but collapsed in 1996; reconvened in 2004 but does not include participation of democratic opposition
|
|
Burundi
|
13 March 1992; provided for establishment of a plural political system; supplanted on 20 October 2004 by a provisional constitution approved by the parliament which extended the transition; a 28 February 2005 popular referendum ratified the new constitution which set ethnic quotas for government positions, and tentatively scheduled general elections for April 2005
|
|
Cambodia
|
promulgated 21 September 1993
|
|
Cameroon
|
20 May 1972 approved by referendum, 2 June 1972 formally adopted; revised January 1996
|
|
Canada
|
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
|
|
Cape Verde
|
new constitution came into force 25 September 1992; underwent a major revision on 23 November 1995, substantially increasing the powers of the president, and a further revision in 1999, to create the position of national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica)
|
|
Cayman Islands
|
1959; revised 1972 and 1992
|
|
Central African Republic
|
passed by referendum 5 December 2004
|
|
Chad
|
passed by referendum 31 March 1996
|
|
Chile
|
11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 30 July 1989, 1993, and 1997
|
|
China
|
most recent promulgation 4 December 1982
|
|
Christmas Island
|
Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958)
|
|
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
|
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1953)
|
|
Colombia
|
5 July 1991
|
|
Comoros
|
23 December 2001
|
|
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
|
new constitution adopted 17 July 2003
|
|
Congo, Republic of the
|
approved by referendum 20 January 2002
|
|
Cook Islands
|
4 August 1965
|
|
Costa Rica
|
7 November 1949
|
|
Cote d'Ivoire
|
new constitution adopted 4 August 2000
|
|
Croatia
|
adopted on 22 December 1990; revised 2000, 2001
|
|
Cuba
|
24 February 1976; amended July 1992 and June 2002
|
|
Cyprus
|
16 August 1960; 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" when the Turkish Cypriots declared their independence in 1983; a new constitution for the "TRNC" passed by referendum on 5 May 1985
|
|
Czech Republic
|
ratified 16 December 1992, effective 1 January 1993
|
|
Denmark
|
5 June 1849 adoption of original constitution; a major overhaul of 5 June 1953 allowed for a unicameral legislature and a female chief of state
|
|
Djibouti
|
multiparty constitution approved by referendum 4 September 1992
|
|
Dominica
|
3 November 1978
|
|
Dominican Republic
|
28 November 1966; amended 25 July 2002
|
|
East Timor
|
22 March 2002 (based on the Portuguese model)
|
|
Ecuador
|
10 August 1998
|
|
Egypt
|
11 September 1971; amended 22 May 1980
|
|
El Salvador
|
23 December 1983
|
|
Equatorial Guinea
|
approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995
|
|
Eritrea
|
a transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet implemented
|
|
Estonia
|
adopted 28 June 1992
|
|
Ethiopia
|
ratified December 1994, effective 22 August 1995
|
|
European Union
|
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 2001; 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 caused a suspension of the ratification process
|
|
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
|
3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998
|
|
Faroe Islands
|
5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)
|
|
Fiji
|
promulgated on 25 July 1990; amended on 25 July 1997 to allow nonethnic Fijians greater say in government and to make multiparty government mandatory; effective 28 July 1998
|
|
Finland
|
1 March 2000
|
|
France
|
adopted by referendum 28 September 1958, effective 4 October 1958; amended concerning election of president in 1962; amended to comply with provisions of 1992 EC Maastricht Treaty, 1996 Amsterdam Treaty, 2000 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
|
|
French Guiana
|
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
|
|
French Polynesia
|
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
|
|
Gabon
|
adopted 14 March 1991
|
|
Gambia, The
|
24 April 1970; suspended July 1994; rewritten and approved by national referendum 8 August 1996; reestablished January 1997
|
|
Georgia
|
adopted 24 August 1995
|
|
Germany
|
23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the united German people 3 October 1990
|
|
Ghana
|
approved 28 April 1992
|
|
Gibraltar
|
30 May 1969
|
|
Greece
|
11 June 1975; amended March 1986 and April 2001
|
|
Greenland
|
5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)
|
|
Grenada
|
19 December 1973
|
|
Guadeloupe
|
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
|
|
Guam
|
Organic Act of 1 August 1950
|
|
Guatemala
|
31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note - suspended 25 May 1993 by former President SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993 following ouster of president; amended November 1993
|
|
Guernsey
|
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
|
|
Guinea
|
23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)
|
|
Guinea-Bissau
|
16 May 1984; amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993, 9 June 1993, and 1996
|
|
Guyana
|
6 October 1980
|
|
Haiti
|
approved March 1987; suspended June 1988 with most articles reinstated March 1989; in October 1991 government claimed to be observing the constitution; returned to constitutional rule in October 1994
|
|
Holy See (Vatican City)
|
new Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope JOHN PAUL II on 26 November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaces the first Fundamental Law of 1929)
|
|
Honduras
|
11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended 1995
|
|
Hong Kong
|
Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
|
|
Hungary
|
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
|
|
Iceland
|
16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944; amended many times
|
|
India
|
26 January 1950; amended many times
|
|
Indonesia
|
August 1945; abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959
|
|
Iran
|
2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership
|
|
Iraq
|
interim constitution signed 8 March 2004; note - the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) was enacted 8 March 2004 to govern the country until an elected Iraqi Government can draft and ratify a new constitution in 2005
|
|
Ireland
|
adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite; effective 29 December 1937
|
|
Israel
|
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
|
|
Italy
|
passed 11 December 1947, effective 1 January 1948; amended many times
|
|
Jamaica
|
6 August 1962
|
|
Japan
|
3 May 1947
|
|
Jersey
|
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
|
|
Jordan
|
1 January 1952; amended 1974, 1976, 1984
|
|
Kazakhstan
|
first post-independence constitution adopted 28 January 1993; new constitution adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995
|
|
Kenya
|
12 December 1963; amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1997, and 2001
|
|
Kiribati
|
12 July 1979
|
|
Korea, North
|
adopted 1948; completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992, and September 1998
|
|
Korea, South
|
17 July 1948
|
|
Kuwait
|
approved and promulgated 11 November 1962
|
|
Kyrgyzstan
|
adopted 5 May 1993; note - amendment proposed by President AKAYEV and passed in a national referendum on 2 February 2003 significantly expands the powers of the president at the expense of the legislature
|
|
Laos
|
promulgated 14 August 1991
|
|
Latvia
|
15 February 1922; an October 1998 amendment on Fundamental Human Rights replaced the 1991 Constitutional Law, which had supplemented the constitution
|
|
Lebanon
|
23 May 1926; amended a number of times, most recently Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of October 1989
|
|
Lesotho
|
2 April 1993
|
|
Liberia
|
6 January 1986
|
|
Libya
|
11 December 1969; amended 2 March 1977
|
|
Liechtenstein
|
5 October 1921
|
|
Lithuania
|
adopted 25 October 1992
|
|
Luxembourg
|
17 October 1868; occasional revisions
|
|
Macau
|
Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution"
|
|
Macedonia
|
adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991; amended November 2001 by a series of new constitutional amendments strengthening minority rights
|
|
Madagascar
|
19 August 1992 by national referendum
|
|
Malawi
|
18 May 1994
|
|
Malaysia
|
31 August 1957; amended 16 September 1963
|
|
Maldives
|
adopted 1 January 1998
|
|
Mali
|
adopted 12 January 1992
|
|
Malta
|
1964 constitution; amended many times
|
|
Man, Isle of
|
unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does not embody the unwritten Manx Constitution
|
|
Marshall Islands
|
1 May 1979
|
|
Martinique
|
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
|
|
Mauritania
|
12 July 1991
|
|
Mauritius
|
12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992
|
|
Mayotte
|
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
|
|
Mexico
|
5 February 1917
|
|
Micronesia, Federated States of
|
10 May 1979
|
|
Moldova
|
new constitution adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994; replaced old Soviet constitution of 1979
|
|
Monaco
|
17 December 1962
|
|
Mongolia
|
12 February 1992
|
|
Montserrat
|
effective 19 December 1989
|
|
Morocco
|
10 March 1972; revised 4 September 1992, amended (to create bicameral legislature) September 1996
|
|
Mozambique
|
30 November 1990
|
|
Namibia
|
ratified 9 February 1990, effective 12 March 1990
|
|
Nauru
|
29 January 1968; amended 17 May 1968 (Constitution Day)
|
|
Nepal
|
9 November 1990
|
|
Netherlands
|
adopted 1815; amended many times, last time 2002
|
|
Netherlands Antilles
|
29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended
|
|
New Caledonia
|
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
|
|
New Zealand
|
consists of a series of legal documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments, as well as The Constitution Act 1986, which is the principal formal charter; adopted 1 January 1987, effective 1 January 1987
|
|
Nicaragua
|
9 January 1987; reforms in 1995 and 2000
|
|
Niger
|
new constitution adopted 18 July 1999
|
|
Nigeria
|
new constitution adopted May 1999
|
|
Niue
|
19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
|
|
Norfolk Island
|
Norfolk Island Act of 1979
|
|
Northern Mariana Islands
|
Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands effective 1 January 1978; Covenant Agreement effective 4 November 1986
|
|
Norway
|
17 May 1814; amended many times
|
|
Oman
|
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
|
|
Pakistan
|
12 April 1973; suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments 30 December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999, restored 31 December 2002; amended 31 December 2003
|
|
Palau
|
1 January 1981
|
|
Panama
|
11 October 1972; major reforms adopted 1978, 1983, 1994, and 2004
|
|
Papua New Guinea
|
16 September 1975
|
|
Paraguay
|
promulgated 20 June 1992
|
|
Peru
|
31 December 1993
|
|
Philippines
|
2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987
|
|
Pitcairn Islands
|
30 November 1838; reformed 1904 with additional reforms in 1940; further refined by the Local Government Ordinance of 1964
|
|
Poland
|
adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997, passed by national referendum 25 May 1997, effective 17 October 1997
|
|
Portugal
|
25 April 1976; revised many times
|
|
Puerto Rico
|
ratified 3 March 1952, approved by US Congress 3 July 1952, effective 25 July 1952
|
|
Qatar
|
ratified by public referendum on 29 April 2003, endorsed by the Emir on 8 June 2004, effective on 9 June 2005
|
|
Reunion
|
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
|
|
Romania
|
8 December 1991; revision effective 29 October 2003
|
|
Russia
|
adopted 12 December 1993
|
|
Rwanda
|
new constitution adopted 4 June 2003
|
|
Saint Helena
|
1 January 1989
|
|
Saint Kitts and Nevis
|
19 September 1983
|
|
Saint Lucia
|
22 February 1979
|
|
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
|
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
|
|
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
|
27 October 1979
|
|
Samoa
|
1 January 1962
|
|
San Marino
|
8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions of a constitution
|
|
Sao Tome and Principe
|
approved March 1990, effective 10 September 1990
|
|
Saudi Arabia
|
governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993
|
|
Senegal
|
new constitution adopted 7 January 2001
|
|
Serbia and Montenegro
|
4 February 2003
|
|
Seychelles
|
18 June 1993
|
|
Sierra Leone
|
1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times
|
|
Singapore
|
3 June 1959; amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution)
|
|
Slovakia
|
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
|
|
Slovenia
|
adopted 23 December 1991, effective 23 December 1991
|
|
Solomon Islands
|
7 July 1978
|
|
Somalia
|
25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
note: the formation of transitional governing institutions, known as the Transitional Federal Government, is currently ongoing
|
|
South Africa
|
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 3 February 1997; it is being implemented in phases
|
|
Spain
|
6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978; new constitution proposed in 2002
|
|
Sudan
|
12 April 1973; suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989; new constitution implemented on 30 June 1998 partially suspended 12 December 1999 by President BASHIR
|
|
Suriname
|
ratified 30 September 1987
|
|
Swaziland
|
a constitution was due to be adopted in November 2003 but was delayed and scheduled for early 2005
|
|
Sweden
|
1 January 1975
|
|
Switzerland
|
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
|
|
Syria
|
13 March 1973
|
|
Taiwan
|
25 December 1946; amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, and 2000
|
|
Tajikistan
|
6 November 1994
|
|
Tanzania
|
25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984
|
|
Thailand
|
new constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON on 11 October 1997
|
|
Togo
|
multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the Republic 1 July 1992, adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992
|
|
Tokelau
|
administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948; amended in 1970
|
|
Tonga
|
4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967
|
|
Trinidad and Tobago
|
1 August 1976
|
|
Tunisia
|
1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002
|
|
Turkey
|
7 November 1982
|
|
Turkmenistan
|
adopted 18 May 1992
|
|
Turks and Caicos Islands
|
introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988
|
|
Tuvalu
|
1 October 1978
|
|
Uganda
|
8 October 1995
|
|
Ukraine
|
adopted 28 June 1996
|
|
United Arab Emirates
|
2 December 1971 (made permanent in 1996)
|
|
United Kingdom
|
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
|
|
United States
|
17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789
|
|
Uruguay
|
27 November 1966, effective February 1967; suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997
|
|
Uzbekistan
|
new constitution adopted 8 December 1992
|
|
Vanuatu
|
30 July 1980
|
|
Venezuela
|
30 December 1999
|
|
Vietnam
|
15 April 1992
|
|
Virgin Islands
|
Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
|
|
Wallis and Futuna
|
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
|
|
Yemen
|
16 May 1991; amended 29 September 1994 and February 2001
|
|
Zambia
|
24 August 1991
|
|
Zimbabwe
|
21 December 1979
|
