Germany's Constitution of 1949 with Amendments Through 2012
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PDF generated: 26 Aug 2021, 16:29 constituteproject.org Germany's Constitution of 1949 with Amendments through 2012 This complete constitution has been generated from excerpts of texts from the repository of the Comparative Constitutions Project, and distributed on constituteproject.org. constituteproject.org PDF generated: 26 Aug 2021, 16:29 Table of contents Preamble . 8 I. Basic Rights . 8 Article 1: [Human dignity - Human rights - Legally binding force of basic rights] . 8 Article 2: [Personal freedoms] . 8 Article 3: [Equality before the law] . 8 Article 4: [Freedom of faith and conscience] . 8 Article 5: [Freedom of expression, arts and sciences] . 9 Article 6: [Marriage - Family - Children] . 9 Article 7: [School system] . 9 Article 8: [Freedom of assembly] . 9 Article 9: [Freedom of association] . 10 Article 10: [Privacy of correspondence, posts and telecommunications] . 10 Article 11: [Freedom of movement] . 10 Article 12: [Occupational freedom] . 10 Article 12a: [Compulsory military and alternative civilian service] . 11 Article 13: [Inviolability of the home] . 11 Article 14: [Property - Inheritance - Expropriation] . 12 Article 15: [Socialisation] . 12 Article 16: [Citizenship - Extradition] . 12 Article 16a: [Right of asylum] . 13 Article 17: [Right of petition] . 13 Article 17a: [Restriction of basic rights in specific instances] . 13 Article 18: [Forfeiture of basic rights] . 14 Article 19: [Restriction of basic rights - Legal remedies] . 14 II. The Federation and the Länder . 14 Article 20: [Constitutional principles - Right of resistance] . 14 Article 20a: [Protection of the natural foundations of life and animals] . 14 Article 21: [Political parties] . 15 Article 22: [Federal capital - Federal flag] . 15 Article 23: [European Union - Protection of basic rights - Principle of subsidiarity] . 15 Article 24: [Transfer of sovereign powers - System of collective security] . 16 Article 25: [Primacy of international law] . 16 Article 26: [Securing international peace] . 16 Article 27: [Merchant fleet] . 16 Article 28: [Land constitutions - Autonomy of municipalities] . 17 Article 29: [New delimitation of the federal territory] . 17 Article 30: [Sovereign powers of the Länder] . 18 Germany 1949 (rev. 2012) Page 2 constituteproject.org PDF generated: 26 Aug 2021, 16:29 Article 31: [Supremacy of federal law] . 18 Article 32: [Foreign relations] . 18 Article 33: [Equal citizenship - Public service] . 18 Article 34: [Liability for violation of official duty] . 19 Article 35: [Legal and administrative assistance and assistance during disasters] . 19 Article 36: [Personnel of federal authorities] . 19 Article 37: [Federal execution] . 19 III. The Bundestag . 20 Article 38: [Elections] . 20 Article 39: [Electoral term - Convening] . 20 Article 40: [Presidency - Rules of procedure] . 20 Article 41: [Scrutiny of elections] . 20 Article 42: [Public sittings - Majority decisions] . 20 Article 43: [Right to require presence, right of access and right to be heard] . 21 Article 44: [Committees of inquiry] . 21 Article 45: [Committee on the European Union] . 21 Article 45a: [Committees on Foreign Affairs and Defence] . 21 Article 45b: [Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces] . 21 Article 45c: [Petitions Committee] . 22 Article 45d: [Parliamentary Control Panel] . 22 Article 46: [Immunities of Members] . 22 Article 47: [Right of refusal to give evidence] . 22 Article 48: [Candidature - Protection of membership - Remuneration] . 22 IV. The Bundesrat . 23 Article 50: [Functions] . 23 Article 51: [Composition - Weighted voting] . 23 Article 52: [President - Decisions - Rules of procedure] . 23 Article 53: [Attendance of members of the Federal Government] . 23 IVa: The Joint Committee . 24 Article 53a: [Composition - Rules of procedure] . 24 V. The Federal President . 24 Article 54: [Election - Term of office] . 24 Article 55: [Incompatibilities] . 24 Article 56: [Oath of office] . 25 Article 57: [Substitution] . 25 Article 58: [Countersignature] . 25 Article 59: [Representation of the Federation for the purposes of international law] . 25 Article 60: [Appointment of civil servants - Pardon - Immunity] . 25 Germany 1949 (rev. 2012) Page 3 constituteproject.org PDF generated: 26 Aug 2021, 16:29 Article 61: [Impeachment before the Federal Constitutional Court] . 26 VI. The Federal Government . 26 Article 62: [Composition] . 26 Article 63: [Election of the Federal Chancellor] . ..