A constitution, or supreme law, is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization, or other entity. It commonly determines how that entity is to be governed, defining the principles on which a state is based and the procedure by which laws are made and by whom. Some constitutions also act as limiters of state power by establishing lines a state's rulers cannot cross, such as fundamental rights.
What is the longest and shortest written constitution in the world?
The Constitution of India is the longest written constitution of any country in the world, with 146,385 words in its English-language version. The Constitution of Monaco is the shortest written constitution, with 3,814 words.
How long does a written constitution typically last?
The historical life expectancy of a written constitution since 1789 is approximately 19 years. A great number of constitutions do not last more than 10 years, and around 10 percent do not last more than one year, as was the case of the French Constitution of 1791.
What is the difference between a codified and an uncodified constitution?
A codified constitution is contained in a single document, which is the single source of constitutional law in a state. An uncodified constitution is not contained in a single document and consists of several different sources that may be written or unwritten. Only two sovereign states, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, have wholly uncodified constitutions.
What is the oldest active written constitution?
The Constitution of San Marino might be the world's oldest active written constitution, since some of its core documents have been in operation since 1600. The Leges Statutae Republicae Sancti Marini was written in Latin across six books and remains in force today. The Constitution of the United States is the oldest active codified constitution.
What does it mean for a constitution to have supremacy over ordinary law?
In most but not all modern states, the constitution has supremacy over ordinary statutory law, so an act that is not a power granted by the constitution is null and void. The nullification is ab initio, meaning from inception rather than from the date of the finding, so the act was never law. If a legal statute conflicts with a codified constitution, all or part of it can be declared ultra vires by a court and struck down as unconstitutional.