Constitutional provisions providing different thresholds for the amendment of the constitution
Parts of the constitution can only be amended with an extra high majority in parliament
[e.g.
(1) Section 1 and this subsection may be
amended by a Bill passed by -
(a) the National Assembly, with a
supporting vote of at least 75 per cent of its
members; and
(b) the National Council of
Provinces, with a supporting vote of at least six
provinces.
(2) Chapter 2 may be amended by a Bill passed
by -
(a) the National Assembly, with a
supporting vote of at least two thirds of its
members; and
(b) the National Council of
Provinces, with a supporting vote of at least six
provinces.
(3) Any other provision of the Constitution may
be amended by a Bill passed -
(a) by the National Assembly, with a
supporting vote of at least two thirds of its
members; and
(b) also by the National Council of
Provinces, with a supporting vote of at least
six provinces, if the amendment -
(i) relates to a matter that affects
the Council;
(ii) alters provincial boundaries,
powers, functions or institutions; or
(iii) amends a provision that deals
specifically with a provincial matter.
Parts of the constitution can only be amended after having also been submitted to a national referendum.
[e.g. The Constitution of the
If the Saeima has amended the first,
second, third, fourth, sixth or seventy-seventh Article of the Constitution,
such amendments, in order to come into force as laws, shall be submitted to a
national referendum.
[e.g. The Constitution of the
[…]
(6) If a bill to amend the
Constitution relates to the provisions of Chapters I, II or XII, the subjects
specified in para. 1 above may require, within 45 days of the adoption of the
bill by the Senate, the holding of a confirmatory referendum. Such subjects
shall make application in the matter to the Marshal of the Sejm, who shall
order the holding of a referendum within 60 days of the day of receipt of the
application. The amendment to the Constitution shall be deemed accepted if the
majority of those voting express support for such amendment.[…]
[e.g. The Constitution of
Change of Articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 12,
13, 15, 45 and 157 shall be final if minimum three fifths of all the voters
support the change in the national referendum.
In some federal
countries, those constitutional amendments that also affect the sub-units’
interest require the consent of the second chamber as the representative organ
of the sub-units at the national level.
[e.g. The Constitution of
(1) Constitutional laws or
constitutional provisions contained in simple laws can be passed by the
National Council only in the presence of at least half the members and by a two
thirds majority of the votes cast; they shall be explicitly specified as such
("constitutional law", "constitutional provision").
(2) Constitutional laws or
constitutional provisions contained in simple laws restricting the competence of
the Laender in legislation or execution require furthermore the approval of the
Federal Council which must be imparted in the presence of at least half the
members and by a two thirds majority of the votes cast.
[e.g. The Constitution of
[…]
(3) Any other provision of the Constitution may
be amended by a Bill passed -
(a) by the National Assembly, with a
supporting vote of at least two thirds of its
members; and
(b) also by the National Council of
Provinces, with a supporting vote of at least
six provinces, if the amendment -
(i) relates to a matter that affects
the Council; (ii) alters provincial boundaries,
powers, functions or institutions;
or (iii) amends a provision that deals
specifically with a provincial
matter.
4. Parts of the
constitution can only be amended as part of a total revision requiring a
different process and different institutions involved
[e.g. The Constitution of
(1) Provisions of Chapters 1, 2 and
9 of the Constitution of the
(2) In case a proposal to change
provisions of Chapters 1, 2 and 9 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation
has been supported by three fifth of votes of the total number of deputies of
the chambers of the Federal Assembly, in conformity with federal constitutional
law the Constitutional Assembly shall be convened.
(3) The Constitutional Assembly
shall either confirm the immutability of the Constitution of the
