The List of Constitutional Amendments to the United States Constitution.
A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a group.Amendments can be interwoven into the relevant sections of the constitution.Supplemental additions can be added to the constitution to change the frame of government without changing the text of the document.
Amendments can't be enacted unless a special procedure is passed that is more stringent than ordinary legislation.Supermajorities in the legislature, direct approval by the electorate in a referendum, or even a combination of two or more different special procedures are examples of such procedures.A referendum to amend the constitution can be triggered by popular initiative.
In the case of Ireland, a simple majority of those voting at the electorate is all that is required, whereas a more complex set of criteria must be met in Australia.Switzerland has a similar procedure to Australia.
Eight Amendments out of 44 proposed in Australia and none in Japan have been passed over a period of several decades because of the special procedures for the amendment of some constitutions.Alabama's constitution has been amended 948 times since it was adopted in 1901.
The way in which constitutional amendments are drafted and written down is different from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.In some countries, such as Ireland, Estonia, and Australia, constitutional amendments originate as bills and become laws in the form of acts of parliament.Even though a special procedure is required to bring an amendment into force, this may be the case.Amendments that are drafted in the form of Acts of Parliament can't become law until they are approved in a referendum.A proposed amendment in the United States that does not require the President to sign or veto is called a special joint resolution of Congress.
There are two main ways in which constitutional amendments are recorded.Revisions to the previous text are the most common form of amendment to a constitution.When an amendment becomes law, portions of the original text may be deleted or new articles added to existing ones.The second method is for amendments to be appended to the end of the main text in the form of special articles of amendment.The doctrine of implied repeal applies even though the wording of the original text is not altered.In the event of a conflict, an article of amendment will usually take precedence over the provisions of the original text.There is still uncertainty as to whether an amendment is intended to supersede or supplement an existing article.
A specific existing article may be repealed in an article of amendment.The most famous feature of the United States Constitution is the use of appended articles of amendment, but it is also used in other countries, such as Venezuela.
The legal theory under the 1919 German Weimar Constitution was that any law reaching the necessary supermajorities in both chambers of parliament was free to deviate from the terms of the constitution.The rise of Hitler was aided by the wide conception of "amendment", which was explicitly ruled out in the postwar 1949 constitution.
Only a simple majority of the country's regions can modify the Constitution of Ethiopia.The Constitution of Ethiopia cannot be changed.Human and democratic rights are included in the constitution's Art.The total consensus of the federal regional states is what makes 104 and 105 almost unamendable.Each regional state has the right to veto the above articles.
The Constitution of South Africa can be amended by an Act of Parliament, but there are special procedures that need to be followed.A bill amending the Constitution needs to be introduced in the National Assembly and cannot contain any other provisions.[5]
At least 30 days before a constitutional amendment bill is introduced in the National Assembly, the person or committee introducing the amendment must publish it for public comment, submit it to the provincial legislatures, and if it does not have to be passed by the NCOP.When the bill is introduced, the comments received must be tabled in the National Assembly and the NCOP.[5]
The National Assembly has 400 members and only 267 of them can vote for an amendment.Most amendments don't have to be considered by the NCOP.Amendments of the Bill of Rights must be passed by the NCOP with a majority of at least six.The legislature of the province concerned must approve any amendment that affects that province.Section 1 defines South Africa as a "one, sovereign, democratic state" and can only be amended by a three-quarters supermajority in the National Assembly and six of the provinces.[5]
If the National Assembly passes an Act, it must be signed by the President.As with any other Act of Parliament, by default an amendment comes into effect when it is published in the Government Gazette, but the text of the amendment may specify some other date of start, or allow the President to specify one by notice.[5]
There are various terms on how the Constitution of Brazil can be amended."Section VIII: The Legislative Process, Subsection 2: Amendments to the Constitution" is contained in article 60.The following is detailed.
During a federal intervention, state of defence or stage of siege, the Constitution cannot be amended.2A proposed amendment will be debated and voted on in each Chamber of the National Congress, in two rounds, if it gets a majority of votes from the members.3The Executive Committees of the Chamber of Deputies and Federal Senate will make a Constitutional amendment.4There will be no proposed constitutional amendment that is aimed at abolishing the following.
5In the same legislative session, the subject of a defeated or prejudiced amendment may not be included in another amendment.
There is only one article prescribed under Subsection 2 of Section 8 in the Brazilian constitution.
The process of altering the federal Constitution is described in the United States Constitution.Twenty-seven amendments have been added to the Constitution.
Since the establishment of the Constitution, 33 amendment proposals have been sent to the states for their approval.State legislatures have used their power to apply for a national convention in order to get Congress to propose an amendment.The movement to amend the Constitution to provide for the direct election of senators died in the Senate from the early 1890s onward.As time went by, more and more state legislatures adopted resolutions demanding that a convention be called, thus pressuring the Senate to finally relent and approve the Seventeenth Amendment for fear that it might stray from the direct election issue.
To become part of the Constitution, an amendment must be approved by either Congress or a national convention.
Congress specified the state legislature's method for approving all but one amendment.The Twenty-first Amendment was part of the Constitution in 1933.
Since the turn of the 20th century, amendment proposals sent to the states have generally contained a seven-year ratification deadline.The Constitution doesn't give a deadline for the state legislatures to consider proposed amendments.The Supreme Court said that Congress could give a deadline for ratification.An amendment with an attached deadline that is not approved by the required number of states is considered useless.[6]
Once it is approved by three-fourths of the States, a proposed amendment becomes an official article.The Eighteenth Amendment went into force at this time, though it may self-impose a delay before that happens.The Secretary of State, the Administrator of General Services, and the Archivist of the United States have all certified or proclaimed every amendment to the constitution.106b.The certification document usually has a list of the States that voted for the Amendment.The federal government uses this certification to keep an official record and archive of the Amendment for their own purposes.
State constitutions in the U.S. are changed on a regular basis.Nineteen states have amended their constitutions at least 100 times.[8]
The length of state constitutions is three times longer than the federal constitution and they typically contain extensive detail.State constitutions are often easier to amend than the federal constitution.[8]
Individual states have different difficulties with constitutional amendments.The amendment process can be initiated through the action of the state legislature or popular initiative.[9]
There are three ways to propose an amendment to the California State Constitution.A proposed amendment needs to be approved by a majority of voters.
The legislative method requires that a proposed amendment be approved by two-thirds of the membership of each house.
The legislature can ask the voters at a general election if they want to call a convention to revise the Constitution.Within six months the Legislature will provide for the convention if the majority of the voters vote yes.Voters from districts that are nearly equal in population will be elected to the convention.There are no rules for the operation of the convention.
An amendment is proposed by a petition signed by voters equal in number to 8% of the votes cast for all the candidates for governor at the last election.At a general or special election, the proposed amendment is put to a vote.
There are two ways to amend the New York Constitution.Amendments must be approved by a majority of voters.
The legislative method requires an amendment proposal to be published for three months and then approved by an absolute majority of the members of each house, with an election intervening.The proposal must be submitted to the people and approved by a simple majority.
The convention method requires a majority vote of voters in a general election to convene a convention.
The legislature and constitutional convention can be used to propose amendments to the Tennessee State Constitution.Amendments need to be approved by a majority of voters.
The Tennessee General Assembly uses the legislative method to pass a resolution calling for an amendment.This must pass in three separate readings on three different days.It doesn't need the governor's approval.Six months before the next legislative election, it must be published in newspapers of wide and general circulation.This is not required by law.The proposed amendment must go through the same procedure after the election.It is put on the ballot as a referendum in the next election.It needs to get an absolute majority of those who voted in the election to approve it.
The legislature can put on a ballot the question of whether to call a convention.If the convention is limited or unlimited, it must be stated whether it can amend the current constitution or write a new one.The subsequent convention, if approved, is limited to considering only amendments to the provisions specified in the call.The proposed amendments must be approved by a majority of the voters in the election.A convention can only be held once every six years.
The only way to amend the Texas State Constitution is through the legislature.The agenda for the special session can be specified by the governor.If the proposed amendments are approved by a majority of voters in a referendum, they will become part of the constitution.The current constitution of Texas has been amended 474 times.
A proposed amendment needs to be approved by two-thirds of the legislature.In an election specified by the legislature, it is submitted to the voters.The wording of an explanatory statement that will appear on the ballot must be approved by the Texas Attorney General.All county clerks have 30 days to post the full text of the amendment.
The only way to amend the Washington State Constitution is through the legislature.The proposal needs to be approved by two-thirds of the legislature.At the next general election, the proposed amendment must be approved by a majority of the voters.
Section 128 of the Constitution describes the procedure for amending the constitution.The proposal needs to pass by a majority in the House of Representatives.At least 76 of the House's 151 members must agree to the proposal.If this succeeds, the proposal will be moved to the Senate where it will need at least 39 of the 76 senators to agree to it.There is a citation needed.
Australians vote on the proposal after this.Both of the following must be accomplished for a referendum to succeed.
Out of 44 referendums since 1906, only 8 have been successful because of the double majority.There is a citation needed.
Since 1910, Indigenous Australians have been campaigning for their voice in parliament to be included in the Constitution.[10][11]
The procedure to amend the Constitution of India is outlined in the article.It requires at least two-thirds of the present and voting members of each house to amend the constitution.As of May 2020, the Indian constitution has been amended 104 times.Parliament's power to amend is not unlimited, and it can't change the basic structure of the constitution according to the Supreme Court.The rule of law, Independence of the judiciary, doctrine of separation of powers, federalism, secularism, and the principle of free and fair elections are included in the basic structure.It was [13].
"Chapter III: The Structure of the State" is an article in the Constitution of China.The following is what it says.
Amendments to the Constitution are to be proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress or by a majority vote of more than two-thirds of all the congress members.
The Constitution of Japan states that it can be amended.The following is what it says.
Amendments to this Constitution shall be initiated by the Diet, through a concurring vote of two-thirds or more of all the members of each House, and will be submitted to the people for their approval.
Amendments will immediately be promulgated by the Emperor in the name of the people, as part of this Constitution.
Since May 3, 1947, Japan has used the Constitution.Following the Second World War and the Sino-Japanese war, it was adopted and implemented as the most quintessential doctrine of Japanese governance.In order to prevent Japan from being a source of future aggression, a special portion was written into the document.The description is as follows:
The Japanese people want an international peace based on justice and order and do not want war as a means of resolving international disputes.
Land, sea, and air forces will never be maintained in order to achieve the aim of the preceding paragraph.The state's right of belligerency will not be recognized.
Even though these two paragraphs are not protected by the eternity clause, many Japanese people argue that they need to be interpreted as irrevocable due to the significant and precise nature of the article.
Amendments can be proposed by one of three methods: a People's Initiative, a Constituent Assembly or a Constitutional Convention.[14][15]
"I. amending the Constitution, participation in elections and referenda" is one of the provisions in the constitution of Turkey.
The number of members of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey must be at least one-third to propose an amendment to the Constitution.There will be two debates on the bills to amend the Constitution.A three-fifths majority of the total number of Assembly members will be required to adopt a bill for an amendment.
The consideration and adoption of bills for the amendments to the Constitution will be subject to certain provisions, with the exception of the conditions set forth in this article.
The laws on the amendments to the Constitution may be sent back by the President of the Republic.The President of the Republic may submit the law to a referendum if the Assembly readsopts by a two-thirds majority.
If a law on the amendment to the Constitution is adopted by less than two-thirds of the total number of Assembly members, it will not be sent back by the President to be reconsidered.
A law on the Constitutional amendment may be submitted to a referendum by the President of the Republic if it is adopted by a two- thirds majority in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.The law on the amendment to the Constitution or the related articles that are not submitted to referendum will be published.
The affirmative vote of more than half the valid votes cast is required for entry into force of the laws on the amendment.
The law on the Constitutional amendment will be decided by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey if the law is submitted to referendum.
Fines shall be taken to secure participation in referenda, general elections, by-elections and local elections.
The Turkish constitution was implemented in 1982.It was amended 21 times as of July.The people voted on every amendment that was put into the document.All the amendments were added at the same time.The referendum was controversial due to the contents that it would extend presidential tenure.Both before and after the results were finalized, global attention was drawn to it.
The Treaties of the European Union are a set of international treaties between member states.Prior to the Treaty of Lisbon's entry into force in 2009, there was only one procedure for the revision of the treaties on which the EU is based.There are two procedures for the revision of treaties laid down in the Treaty on European Union.[16]
The Constitution of Albania states its terms for amending.
1.An initiative for amending the Constitution can be taken by 20% of the Assembly.
4.The proposed constitutional amendments can be voted on by two-thirds of the Assembly.The proposed amendment becomes effective after 60 days after the Assembly approves it.
5.When one-fifth of the Assembly request it, an approved constitutional amendment is submitted to referendum.
6.The Assembly approved a constitutional amendment that the President of the Republic cannot re-consider.
7.An amendment approved by referendum becomes effective when the President of the Republic proclaims it.
There are 8.Unless a year has passed since the Assembly of a proposed amendment on the same issue or three years since it was rejected by referendum, an amendment of the Constitution cannot be made.
In terms of constitutional amendments, the Constitution of Austria is very liberal.If the required supermajority and other formality for an amendment are met, any piece of parliamentary legislation can be designated as "constitutional law".The centerpiece of the constitution may be changed in the form of a new constitutional act or a section of constitutional law.In the case of the European Convention of Human Rights, international treaties can be enacted as constitutional law.Over the decades, frequent amendments and the intention to immunize pieces of legislation from judicial review have led to a lot of "constitutional garbage."This has led to calls for change.There is a citation needed.
A majority of the National Council.Confirmation by referendum is required in the case of a fundamental change to the constitution.Austria's accession to the European Union was approved by popular vote in 1945.
A two-thirds majority in the Federal Council of Austria is required if a constitutional amendment limits the powers of the states.Two-thirds of the Federal Councilors must approve the matter if it's on hand.The majority of councilors in at least four of the nine states would be required if the amendment were to change articles 34 or 35.
The Federal Government and the Federal Parliament have the power to amend the Constitution of Belgium.The reasons to revise the Constitution must be declared by the federal legislative power.The two Declarations of Revision of the Constitution were signed by the King and the Federal Government.
A new federal election must take place after this declaration.Unless an election intervenes, it is impossible to amend the Constitution.The new Federal Parliament can make changes to the articles that have been declared revisable.The Constitution can only be amended if at least two-thirds of the votes cast are in favor of it.
The Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina states that it can be amended by a decision of the Parliamentary Assembly, as well as a two-thirds majority of those present and voting in the House of Representatives.The Constitution doesn't say who has the right to present amendments to the Parliamentary Assembly.The Constitution states that the rights and freedoms can't be derogated, as well as the paragraph 2 itself.
The Brcko District final award was included in the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2009.In order to comply with the case law of the European Convention on Human Rights in the Sejdi, several constitutional reforms were attempted.
Depending on the part of the constitution to be amended, there are two procedures for amendment.
Critics view this procedure as too slow and ineffective.There are voices in Bulgaria who want to remove the institution of the Great National Assembly and adopt a new procedure of constitutional amendment through popular vote.
The passage of a constitutional act in the Czech Republic can only be accomplished by the agreement of three-fifths of the house of Parliament.It is the only type of legislation that does not require the signature of the President.It is the only type of legislation that the President can't veto.[21]
There are multiple special procedures that must be followed.After an amendment has been approved by parliament, a general election must be held; the new parliament must approve the amendment again before it is submitted to a referendum.Forty percent of eligible voters must vote at the referendum in order for an amendment to be validly passed.
The Constitution of Estonia can only be changed by a three-fifths majority in Parliament and a referendum.[22]
Amendments to the Constitution of France need to be passed by both houses of congress with the same terms and then approved by a simple majority in a referendum.
The Federal Republic of Germany uses a basic law.The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany states the terms for amending.
The Basic Law can only be amended by a law.It is necessary to make clear that the provisions of this Basic Law do not apply in the case of an international treaty regarding a peace settlement.
The law will be carried by two thirds of the votes of both houses of congress.
Amendments to this Basic Law affecting the division of the Federation into Lnder, their participation on principle in the legislative process, or the principles laid down in Articles 1 and 20 are not allowed.
The third paragraph was made to protect the country against a fascist regime like that of Nazi Germany in the future.The eternity clause is used in constitutional designing.
Under "Section II: Revision of the Constitution" of "Part Four: Special, Final, and Transitional Provisions", the constitution of Greece can be amended.
The lower and upper houses of the Oireachtas approved a proposal to allow citizens to vote for the President in a referendum.The amendment succeeds by a simple majority.
The Parliament can amend the Constitution of Italy through a special procedure provided for in the constitution.The ordinary legislative procedure requires both houses of parliament to approve the law in the same text, with a simple majority.The majority of votes were cast.After being approved for the first time, they need to be voted on by both houses again, which can happen in three months.The bill must either be approved or rejected in its entirety in this second reading.
In its second reading, the constitutional law needs to be approved by at least a majority of the house's MPs.The constitutional law may follow two different paths depending on the results of the second vote.
In 2001, the constitutional law was approved, in 2006 and in 2016 it was rejected.The fourth constitutional referendum was supposed to take place in March 2020 but was delayed due to the coronaviruses outbreak in Italy.
The legislature must pass a law by simple majority if they want to change the constitution.There is a proposed law.After elections, the lower house must be dissolved.The change to the constitution needs to be passed by a majority in both houses of parliament.
The Constitution of Poland says that it should be amended.
1.It is possible for a bill to amend the Constitution to be submitted by the President of the Republic.
2.Amendments to the Constitution can be made by means of a statute adopted by the Sejm and the Senate within a period of 60 days.
3.The first reading of a bill to amend the Constitution can take place no sooner than 30 days after the submission of the bill.
4.A bill to amend the Constitution should be adopted by the Sejm by a majority of at least two-thirds of votes, and the Senate by an absolute majority.
5.The first reading of a bill amending the provisions of Chapters I, II or XII of the Constitution must be completed within 60 days.
6.There is a bill that relates to the provisions of Chapters I, II or XII.The Senate may have to hold a confirmatory referendum within 45 days of the bill's adoption.The Marshal of the Sejm will order the holding of a referendum within 60 days of receiving the application.If the majority of those voting express support for the amendment, it will be accepted.
7.The adopted statute will be submitted to the President of the Republic for signature after the procedures specified in paras 4 and 6 have been completed.Within 21 days of submission, the President of the Republic will sign the statute and order its promulgation in the Journal of Laws of Poland.
Part IX: Guaranteeing and Revision of the Constitution prescribes the terms under which the constitution can be amended.
The terms by which the Constitution of Romania can be amended are mentioned in the document.Title VII: Amendment of the Constitution is where the articles are written.
The Russian Federation created the Constitution of Russia in 1993.It can be amended in correspondence with "Chapter 9: Constitutional Amendments and Revision of the Constitution" under the document.The President of the Russian Federation and State Duma members' terms were extended in 2008 from four to six years.The first truly substantial amendments to the country's constitution were added into the Russian constitution fifteen years prior to its adoption and implementation.
The Constitution of Serbia states that it can be amended between Articles 203 to 205.Even though the Serbian constitution can be amended, this has never happened since the document was adopted and implemented in 2006 when Montenegro declared its independence from Serbia.This ended the state of Serbia-Montenegro.
The procedure for amending the Constitution of Spain can be found in "part X: Constitutional Amendment" of the document.There are additional details in Sections 71 to 76.