Constitution (Latin constitutio - establishment, structure, order) - the basic state document (law), which defines the state system, the procedure and principles of functioning of representative, executive and judicial bodies of power, electoral system, rights and responsibilities of the state, society and citizens . [1] Other laws of the state, as a rule, are based on the constitution.
Depending on the objective expression of the will of the legislator, there are two sets of constitutions: written and unwritten. Written constitutions are drawn up in the form of legal documents, and in turn are divided into codified (a single act in a systematic form) and non-codified (a set of several documents). [2] Most states, including Ukraine, have written codified constitutions. Examples of uncodified constitutions are the constitutions of Israel and Sweden. Unwritten constitutions are a rare exception. These can be conditionally attributed to the constitutions of Great Britain, New Zealand and Canada, where in addition to the written documents are also unwritten (constitutional customs, judicial precedents, traditions, etc.).
Constitutions apply to different levels, from sovereign states to corporations and societies. An international treaty that forms international organizations is also their constitution in determining how that organization is formed. For a country, whether sovereign or a federation, the constitution defines the principles on which the state is based and the order by which and who has the right to legislate. Some constitutions, especially codified ones, also act as restraints on state power by setting boundaries that cannot be crossed by the heads of state, that is, fundamental rights. An example is the Constitution of Ukraine.
The longest-standing constitution of the sovereign states of the world is the longest-standing constitution of India, [3] containing 444 articles in 22 chapters, [4] [5] 12 amendments and 118 [6] amendments, with 146 385 words in its English version. , [7]. The shortest constitutions are the US Constitution (7 articles and 27 amendments) [8] and the Monaco Constitution, which has 10 sections of 97 articles and a total of 3 814 words. [9] [10]
