COUNTRIES WITHOUT CONSTITUTION

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

While most countries have a written constitution, there are only 5 countries with unwritten Constitutions.

“Unwritten” should not be misunderstood as though the Constitution does not exist at all. The Constitution does exist and it is based on different legal documents and Acts and decrees – but there is no single document that defines all the laws together. In some instances, countries may rely on a combination of legal documents, customary law, and historical precedents to define their system of government. It’s important to note that the absence of a written constitution doesn’t mean the absence of governance or legal principles.

List of countries without constitutions

These are the countries with unwritten or Uncodified Constitutions:

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has the Holy Qur’an and the Sunna (Traditions) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad as its basic law.

Royal decrees issued by the rulers address modern issues such as intellectual property and corporate laws. To make sound judgments based on the basic law (Sharia Law), judges refer to the six medieval texts from the Hanbali School before making a ruling. The Hanbali school derives Sharia primarily from the Qur’an, the Hadiths (sayings and customs of Muhammad), and the views of Sahabah (Muhammad’s companions).

Saudi Arabia bases its legal system on Sharia laws derived from the Quran and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. God’s Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet, God’s prayers and peace be upon him, are its Constitution.

Israel

Israel has operated without a written constitution since the Harari Decision of June 30, 1950.

The country has made several attempts to have a formally written constitution since its proclamation of independence in 1948, but all have been futile. Currently, Israel has evolved a system of basic laws and rights, which enjoy semi-constitutional status.

Also, Read CONSTITUTION OF INDIA-TIPS TO REMEMBER

Israel has no written constitution. Various attempts to draft the formal document since 1948 have fallen short of the mark, and instead, Israel has evolved a system of basic laws and rights, which enjoy semi-constitution status.

New Zealand

New Zealand does not have a single document of authority, instead, it relies on several documents of authority, including the Constitution Act of 1986, Acts of Parliament, and court decisions.

Canada

Canada ranked as the 15th happiest country in the world, draws its authority from written acts and unwritten conventions. The acts include the Canada Act 1982, the Constitution Act 1867, their amendments, and the acts and orders in Section 52(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982.

Also, Read ARTICLE 370 OF THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION

Canada’s constitution is partly written and partly unwritten. The writings are in several rather than one document.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom UK, as is commonly referred to, has no written constitution but draws its governing principles from four sources including status law, common law, political convention, and works of authority. The laws passed by the parliament are the final source of law in the United Kingdom.

Conclusion

It’s essential to recognize that even in countries without a single, written constitution, there are still legal principles, foundational laws, and governance structures that guide the functioning of the state. The absence of a written constitution doesn’t imply a lack of legal order; rather, it means that the constitutional framework is derived from various sources and may not be consolidated into a single document.