Back in July, we updated researchers on the content that was released in the World Constitutions Illustrated database from April to June 2020. Read below to find out what new documents have been added to this ever-growing database.
Update from July to Date
Since our last content news update, we have updated 26 countries and added 163 new titles to the World Constitutions Illustrated database.
We will continue to provide constitutional content news right here on the HeinOnline blog. Be sure to subscribe to receive notifications when new posts are published.
Albania
Now available is the Constitution of 1998, which was further amended by Law No. 115/2020 of July 30, 2020. Included is the text of the amending law and the consolidated text of the Parliament in Albania and the Official Gazette. Also added is an edition of the text as consolidated through 2016, a publication of the official gazette in Albania.
Armenia
We have added the Constitution of 1995 which was amended on June 22, 2020. Included is the text of the amending law and the current consolidated text of the Armenian Legal Information System (ARLIS) in Armenian.
Bangladesh
We have added the text of the Bangladesh Act of July 25, 1973 from HMSO, which made provision for the attainment of Bangladesh as a separate, independent state.
Belgium
We have added the current English translation of the amendment made by Art. 148 by the Law of April 22, 2019, from the House of Representatives.
Botswana
We have added the current consolidated text of the Constitution of 1966 as amended to 2016. While there have been subsequent statutory instruments implementing the Constitution, or exercising powers under it, these have not affected the text of the Constitution itself.
Brazil
We have added multiple amendments to the Constitution of 1988, including:
- Constitutional Amendment No. 107 of July 2, 2020. As with previous Constitutional Amendment No. 106, the amendment concerns extraordinary provisions during the pandemic, in this case, related to electoral matters. Neither amendment alters the text of the Constitution itself, but are considered constitutional amendments. We include the text from the Diario Oficial and the other three official sources we routinely consult for Brazilian legislation. Professor Rosenn has now updated his English translations correspondingly.
- Constitutional Amendment No. 108 of August 26, 2020. We include the text of the amending law and the consolidated text from our usual multiple sources.
Burkina Faso
Now available is our own translation of the first Constitution of (then) Upper Volta of 1959.
Chile
We have added multiple amendments to the Constitution of 1980 as codified in 2005, including:
- Law No. 21.238 of July 3, 2020. It concerns limitations placed on the reelection of specified authorities of government. We add the texts of the amending law from the Diario Oficial and the Library of the National Congress, and the consolidated text of the Library of the National Congress. We have also updated our own current translation correspondingly.
- Law No. 21,248 of July 24, 2020. We include the text of the amending law from the Official Gazette and the Library of the National Congress, as well as the consolidated text of the latter. We have also updated our own current translation correspondingly.
- Law Nos. 21.253, 21.257, and 21.261 of August 18, 25, and 26, respectively. We include the text of the amending laws from the Official Gazette and the Library of the National Congress, as well as the consolidated text of the latter. We have updated our own current translation through Law No. 21.257.
Colombia
We have added the articles amended by Legislative Acts Nos. 1 and 2, both of July 22, 2020, to the Constitution of 1991. We have included the Spanish texts of the amending laws and of the consolidated text. In addition, we have updated our own current translation correspondingly.
Costa Rica
We have added further amendments made to the Constitution of 1949, including:
- Legislative Decree No. 9849 of July 2, 2020, which establishes a constitutional right to potable water. We include the text of the amending law from La Gaceta, as well as adding the latest editions from the Offices of the Procurator General and of the Supreme Tribunal of Elections.
- Legislative Decree No. 9850 of June 22, 2020. We have added the text of the amending law from the Official Gazette, as well as the latest edition of the Supreme Tribunal of Elections.
We have updated our own current consolidated translation correspondingly for both.
Gabon
We have added the current consolidated translation of the Constitution of 1991 to account for the extraordinary amendment to Art. 13 concerning the temporary absence of the President of the Republic as made by the Decision of the Constitutional Court No. 219/CC of November 14, 2018.
We have also added our own translation of the first Constitution of Gabon of February 19, 1959.
Georgia
Now included is Constitutional Law No. 1324-rs of 2017, amending and restating the Constitution of 1995, which was further amended by Constitutional Law No. 6500-rs of June 29, 2020. These amendments concern the composition of Parliament, the formation of electoral districts, and related electoral matters. We have added the text of the amending law and the consolidated text of the constitutional law it amends from the Ministry of Justice in Georgian.
Guatemala
We have added the latest annotated edition from 2019 of the Constitutional Court of the Political Constitution of 1985/6 in Spanish.
Luxembourg
We have added the amending law of the venerable Constitution of 1868, amended on May 15, 2020, concerning the juridical effects of provisions of laws declared as non-conforming to the Constitution by the Constitutional Court. We have included the text from the Journal Officiel, the current consolidated text of the Ministry of State, and have updated our own current consolidated translation correspondingly.
Malta
We have included the amending text to the Constitution of 1964, which had been amended five times between April and August 2020. Included is Art. 92, which concerns the appointment of the Commissioner of Police, as part of the Police (Amendment) Act which received assent on April 7, 2020. We have added the current consolidated text of the Constitution, as provided by the Ministry of Justice, in English and in Maltese.
Mauritania
The collection of documents for Mauritania has been comprehensively updated with texts from the Journal Officiel and our own corresponding translations into English. These primarily concern the Constitutional Charters and related documents of the period 1978 to 1985, by which Mauritania was governed between the 1961 Constitution and the 1991 Constitution (the current text in force).
Mongolia
We have included the Mongolian texts of the three amending laws to the Constitution of 1992: of 1999, 2000, and 2019. We also added the current consolidated Mongolian text to 2019. The English translation of the State Great Hural has not yet been updated.
Nepal
We have added three new Nepali texts: the amending laws of 2015 and 2020, and the consolidated text of 2020.
New Zealand
We have added two enactments of 2020 to our collection of laws concerning constitutional matters: the Privacy Act of 2020, which repealed the Privacy Act of 1993, and the Public Service Act 2020 which repealed the State Sector Act of 1988.
Nicaragua
We have added the Preamble to the Constitution of 1986/7, which was amended by Law No. 1014 of January 28, 2020. We have included the text of the amending law from La Gaceta, as well as our own current consolidated translation correspondingly.
Peru
We have added the text from the amending Law No. 31042 of September 15, 2020 to the Constitution of 1993. We include the text of the amending law from the Official Gazette and have updated our own current translation correspondingly.
Russian Federation
The Constitution of 1993 was further amended by the Law of 11 March 2020, which was ratified at the All-Russia Voting of June 25 – July 1, 2020. We have added the text of the amending law and the consolidated text in Russian as provided by Pravo, the State System of the Russian Federation for Legal Information. We also include the consolidated text of the Constitutional Court, and the text of the amending law from the State Duma, as well as the English translation from the Constitutional Court.
San Marino
We have added the Law of Constitutional Revision of March 28, 2019 No. 1, which further amended one of the fundamental Laws of San Marino: the Declaration of the Rights of the Citizen and of the Fundamental Principles of the Legal Order of 1974.
Tanzania, United Republic of
We have added the texts, in Swahili, of 14 Amendment Acts to the Constitution of 1977, the current text in force. These cover the period 1979 to 2005 and relate to the constitutional evolution of Tanzania from a single to a multi-party State, and inserting a Bill of Rights into the Constitution for the first time.
Ukraine
We have added the amended text to the Constitution of 1996, amended on September 3, 2019, by Law No. 27-IX, concerning the responsibility of members of Parliament for votes made or words spoken in Parliament. We have included the Ukrainian texts of the amending law and the consolidated text. The Constitutional Court has not yet updated its English translation.
Vatican City State
We have added the Italian text for three additional laws which have been added to the collection of Fundamental Laws of the Vatican City State: the Law on Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons of March 26, 2019; the Law on the Government of the Vatican City State of November 25, 2018; and the Copyright Law of March 19, 2011.
Stay tuned for our next update!
For help searching or navigating World Constitutions Illustrated, check out our LibGuide!
HeinOnline search gurus are available Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Call us at (800) 277-6995, email us, or chat with us!
Stay connected with HeinOnline: Tweet us, like us, follow us, and watch us!
