Plain-language definitions of the constitutional vocabulary used throughout this repository. Operative terms that carry precise legal meaning in the text are separately defined in DEFINITIONS.md. Terms are alphabetical; cross-references point to the section where the concept is developed.
Act — a law formally adopted by Parliament and in force; also called a statute. See Section 3.8.
Amendment (constitutional) — a formal change to the Constitution itself, made under the tiered procedure of Part 25.
Appropriation — an authorization by Parliament allowing the government to spend public money for a stated purpose. See Section 8.2.
Bicameral — consisting of two chambers; the Parliament of the Republic comprises the Lower House and the Upper House. See Section 3.1.
Bill — a draft law under discussion in Parliament; it becomes an Act upon adoption and assent. See Section 3.8.
Boundary Commission — the independent body that draws and reviews electoral district boundaries under equality principles. See Section 30.2.
By-election — an election held to fill a vacancy arising between general elections. See Section 3.4.
Cabinet — the body of ministers headed by the Prime Minister that directs government policy under collective responsibility. See Section 4.3.
Checks and balances — the arrangement by which each branch of government limits the others. See Section 0.5.
Citizen — a member of the political community of the Republic with full civic rights and duties. See Section 2.1.
Civic duty — an obligation of citizenship, such as jury-free civic participation norms or voting, which the text encourages without penalizing abstention. See Section 6.3.
Collective bargaining — negotiation between unions and employers over working conditions, resulting in binding collective agreements. See Section 10.7.
Collective responsibility — the rule that the Cabinet stands or falls together on government policy. See Section 4.3.
Competence — the legal power of an organ or level of government to act on a subject. See Section 4.6 and Section 7.1.
Confidence — the support of the Lower House that a Prime Minister must hold and can lose through a constructive vote of no confidence. See Section 4.2.
Conflict of interest — a situation in which a public official's private interests could improperly influence official duties. See Section 27.4.
Constitutional convention — a specially convened body empowered to propose fundamental revision of the Constitution. See Section 25.2.
Constitutional Court — the apex court for constitutional questions, composed of eleven judges serving single non-renewable twelve-year terms. See Section 5.3.
Constitutionalism — the principle that all public power is created, limited, and disciplined by the Constitution. See Section 0.2.
Constitutional review (periodic) — the scheduled evaluation of the Constitution's performance by a Constitutional Review Commission every fifteen years. See Section 25.4.
Derogation — a temporary suspension of a right during a declared emergency, permitted only for derogable rights under strict conditions. See Section 26.5.
Devolution — the transfer of meaningful decision-making power to Provinces and Municipalities within a unitary state. See Section 7.6.
Dissolution — the early end of the Lower House's term followed by general elections. See Section 3.2.
Due process — the requirement that public decisions affecting rights follow fair procedures: notice, reasons, hearing, review. See Section 1.6.
Electoral Commission — the independent constitutional institution that administers all national elections and referendums. See Sections 3.5 and 20.4.
Entrenched provision — a provision that can be amended only by supermajority plus a national referendum. See Section 30.5.
Equalization — fiscal transfers that reduce disparities in revenue and service capacity between subnational governments. See Section 7.5.
Expropriation — the compelled transfer of private property to the State, lawful only for a public purpose, under law, and against just and prompt compensation. See Section 1.8.
Fiscal council — the independent body that assesses whether budgets and debt strategy comply with fiscal-responsibility rules. See Section 8.7.
Fiscal year — the twelve-month period for which the budget is adopted and accounts are audited. See Section 8.2.
Freedom of information — the right to request and receive information held by public bodies, subject to narrow, exhaustive exemptions. See Sections 21.3 and 27.2.
Governor (Regional) — the presiding officer of a Provincial Council elected under Article 7.1.2.3, when exercising the executive functions the Council delegates to that office; the term used in Part 31 (Government Eligibility) for the person subject to its eligibility gates at the provincial tier. ⚠ Editorial note: this term was used normatively in Part 31 (Articles 31.1.1, 31.7) before this entry existed and before Part 07 assigned it any executive content beyond chairing meetings — see Article 7.1.2.3, corrected alongside this entry.
Habeas corpus — the remedy compelling a authority to justify a detention before a judge without delay. See Section 15.1.
Head of government — the Prime Minister, who directs the government and holds the confidence of the Lower House. See Section 4.2.
Head of state — the President, elected by a joint sitting of Parliament for a single six-year term. See Section 4.1.
Horizontal effect — the application of rights in disputes between private persons, where the right is capable of such application. See Section 1.1.
Independent institution — a constitutional organ outside the three branches — such as the Ombudsman or the Auditor-General — designed to guard integrity. See Part 20.
Judicial independence — the guarantee that judges decide according to law alone, protected by tenure, salary security, and removal only for cause. See Section 5.1.
Judicial review — the power of courts to refuse application to unconstitutional acts, and of the Constitutional Court to invalidate them. See Section 5.6.
Jus cogens — peremptory norms of international law from which no derogation is permitted; they bind the Republic absolutely. See Section 19.3.
Limitation clause — the provision governing when and how rights may be limited; the Republic's single master clause is Article 1.1.4. See Section 1.1.
Lower House — the 400-member chamber of Parliament elected for four-year terms by proportional representation. See Section 3.2.
Maladministration — faulty, unlawful, or unreasonable exercise of public power short of illegality, remedied by the Ombudsman. See Section 20.1.
Master limitation clause — see Limitation clause; the single clause through which all rights in Part 01 are limited.
Money bill — a bill dealing only with taxation, appropriation, or debt, which the Upper House can delay but not amend. See Sections 3.3 and 8.2.
Non-derogable right — a right that survives every emergency: life, freedom from torture and slavery, conscience and religion, fair-trial core, and legality in criminal law. See Sections 1.1 and 26.5.
Non-refoulement — the absolute prohibition on returning a person to a territory where they face persecution, torture, or serious harm. See Section 2.4.
Ombudsman — the independent institution that investigates maladministration and recommends correction. See Section 20.1.
Open lists — electoral lists on which voters may express preferences for individual candidates, affecting the order of election. See Section 6.1.
Opposition — the parties not supporting the government; their rights in Parliament are protected. See Section 3.9.
Parliament — the bicameral legislature of the Republic, the supreme legislative authority. See Section 3.1.
Parliamentary privilege — the protections that let members speak and act freely in parliamentary proceedings, limited to protect the institution's function. See Section 3.9.
Precedent — a prior judicial decision followed in later cases to secure consistency; the Constitutional Court's interpretations bind all organs. See Section 25.3.
Presiding officer — the Speaker of the Lower House or the President of the Upper House, who chairs proceedings impartially. See Section 3.1.
Prime Minister — the head of government; a member of the Lower House who must hold its confidence. See Section 4.2.
Proclamation — a formal public act by which the President declares matters such as an emergency, subject to countersignature and parliamentary approval. See Section 26.1.
Proportional representation — an electoral family that allocates seats in proportion to votes; the Republic uses open lists with a 3% national threshold. See Section 6.1.
Proportionality — the test asking whether a rights limitation is suitable, necessary, and balanced; proportionality stricto sensu weighs benefits against harm. See Article 1.1.4.
Province — the primary subnational unit of the Republic, governed by an elected Provincial Council. See Section 7.1.
Public authority — any organ or person exercising public power under the Constitution, however created. See Section 29.2.
Public Prosecution Service — the independent institution responsible for criminal prosecutions, headed by the Public Prosecutor. See Section 5.8.
Quorum — the minimum members who must be present for a chamber to validly decide. See Section 3.1.
Reasonable accommodation — the adjustments required, without disproportionate burden, to enable persons with disabilities equal participation. See Section 22.3.
Referendum — a direct national vote on a measure; mandatory for entrenched amendments, and available by parliamentary decision or citizens' initiative. See Section 6.7.
Region — a cooperative grouping of Provinces for shared services; not a sovereign tier. See Section 7.2.
Reserve powers — the President's narrow discretionary powers, exercisable only within constitutional limits, such as the single referral of a bill. See Section 4.1.
Rule of law — the principle that all power is exercised under, and constrained by, law that is clear, general, prospective, and equally applied. See Section 0.4.
Section — a file of this Constitution, numbered by Part and position (e.g., Section 5.3).
Separation of powers — the assignment of legislative, executive, and judicial functions to distinct organs. See Section 0.5.
State of emergency — a declared, time-limited crisis regime permitting derogations from derogable rights under parliamentary and judicial control. See Section 26.1.
Subsidiarity — the rule that functions are performed at the lowest level of government capable of performing them effectively. See Section 7.6.
Sunset clause — an expiry date on a power or measure, forcing renewal or lapse. See Section 18.7 and Section 26.5.
Supremacy (constitutional) — the rule that the Constitution prevails over every other law and act. See Section 0.8.
Suspensive (delaying) veto — the Upper House's power to delay, but not defeat, ordinary legislation. See Section 3.3.
Statute — see Act.
Treaty — an international agreement binding the Republic once approved and published. See Section 19.2.
Ultra vires — an act beyond legal powers; ultra vires acts are invalid and reviewable. See Section 5.6.
Vertical effect — the application of rights against organs of the State. See Section 1.1.
Voter registration — the continuous, accurate roll of persons entitled to vote, maintained automatically. See Section 6.2.
Whistleblower — a person who reports wrongdoing within a public or private organization and enjoys protection against retaliation. See Section 27.5.