French Legal Research: Constitution
Since France has had many different constitutions as well as laws modifying its current constitution throughout its history, French constitutional law encompasses more than strictly the text of the most recent constitution. Taken together, the following are the basic documents comprising the current French Constitution, the supreme law of the country:
- The 1958 Constitution, including revisions (French) (English - unofficial translation).
- The Preamble to the 1958 Consitution, which references the 1789 Rights of Man and principles of national sovereignty (French).
- The Preamble to the 1946 Constitution (French).
The International Legal Studies section of the Harvard Law School Library also has the key French constitutional documents in paper format. French constitutional materials are located at FRA 100, in the Moody call number section of the library.
Amendment of the Constitution
The French Constitution can be amended by the procedure established in Title XVI of the Constitution of 1958 (English - unofficial translation).
Conseil Constitutionnel
Established in 1958 by Title VII of the 1958 Constitution (English - unofficial translation), there is also the Conseil constitutionnel, the French constitutional court, which can review laws passed by the parliamentary body prior to the laws entering into force. The Conseil constitutionnel also ensures proper conduct of and reviews all disputed elections. There is no appeal from the Conseil constitutionnel.
Decisions for the Conseil constitutionnel are available on the
Internet in full-text back to 1999 and in index form back to 1958. There are also
print case reporters for the Conseil constitutionnel. The print reporter is
located in the International Legal Studies section of the Harvard Law School Library,
under the Moody
classification system section, at FRA 561.