1.- Constitución Española - Estructura y Fechas importantes
Understanding the Spanish Constitution
Overview of the Spanish Constitution Structure
- The Spanish Constitution of 1978 consists of a preamble, 169 articles divided into a preliminary title and ten titles, along with four additional provisions, nine transitional provisions, one derogatory provision, and one final provision.
- Key components include:
- Title Preliminary
- Title I: Fundamental Rights and Duties (5 chapters)
- Title II: The Crown
- Title III: The General Courts (3 chapters)
- Title IV: Government and Administration
- Title V: Relations between Government and General Courts
- Title VI: Judiciary Power
- Titles VII to X cover:
- Title VII: Economy and Finance
- Title VIII: Territorial Organization of the State (3 chapters)
- Title IX: Constitutional Court
- Title X: Constitutional Reform
Important Dates Related to the Constitution
Initial Approval and Ratification
- Significant dates include:
- October 31, 1978: Approval by the General Courts (Congress and Senate).
- December 6, 1978: Ratification by the Spanish people through a referendum; this date is also a public holiday.
- Additional key dates:
- December 27, 1978: Royal sanction and promulgation by King.
- December 29, 1978: Publication in the Official State Bulletin (BOE), entering into force on the same day.
Amendments to the Constitution
- The Constitution has been modified three times through ordinary procedures. Key modification dates are:
- August 27, 1992: Article 13(2) amended to include "and passive" regarding foreign voting rights in municipal elections.
- September 27,2011 : Article135 was reformed due to financial sustainability principles arising from economic crises.
- February15 ,2024 : Article49 was updated to replace outdated terms with "persons with disabilities," recognizing specific needs for women and minors with disabilities.
Summary of Key Modifications
- Each amendment's effective date is crucial for exams; however, focus on royal sanction dates for questions.
- Recap of essential dates includes:
- October31 ,1978 : Approval by General Courts
- December6 ,1978 : Referendum ratification
- December27 ,1978 : Royal sanction
- December29 ,1978 : Publication & enforcement
- August27 ,1992 : Amendment on suffrage rights
- September27 ,2011 : Financial sustainability reform
- February15 ,2024 : Update on disability terminology
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