Organic Law (Spain)
Organic laws ( leyes orgánicas ) are, according to Article 81 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 , which regulate certain matters listed in this constitutional provision and for which there are therefore special features in the legislative process compared to the "ordinary laws" ( leyes ordinarias ). This is a new concept for the Spanish constitutional history up to 1978, which is based on the example of the loi organique of the French constitution of 1958.
Article 81 of the Constitution
Article 81 of the Constitution reads:
- (1) Organic laws are those laws which concern the development of fundamental rights and public freedoms, which approve the statutes of autonomy and the principles of electoral law, as well as the other laws for which this constitution expressly provides.
- (2) The adoption, amendment and repeal of the organic laws require an absolute majority of the House of Representatives in a final vote on the entirety of the bill.
Special features in the legislative process
For ordinary laws, Article 90 of the Constitution provides for the following legislative procedure:
The bills are first passed by the House of Representatives ( Congreso de los Diputados ) and then sent to the Senate ( Senado ). This may, within two months, either with an absolute majority a veto insert or with a simple majority propose amendments, is referred to it again and then the House of Representatives. A veto can be overruled by an absolute majority; after two months after the submission, a simple majority is sufficient. Changes proposed by the Senate can be accepted or rejected with a simple majority. The law was passed and the Senate will not be referred to it again.
Art. 81 para. 2 of the Constitution has the following special features for organic laws:
- At the end of the first referral to the House of Representatives, there must be a vote on the legislative proposal as a whole (important, for example, if individual amendments have been approved), in which an absolute majority must be achieved. (Art. 131 of the House of Representatives' rules of procedure)
- If the Senate veto, this must be overruled by the House of Representatives with an absolute majority; the possibility of overriding with a simple majority after two months has expired. (Art. 132 No. 1 of the House of Representatives' rules of procedure)
- If the House of Representatives accepts amendments proposed by the Senate (for which a simple majority is sufficient), the resulting overall draft must again be put to the final vote, again with an absolute majority. If this is not achieved, the draft originally approved by the House of Representatives is approved and the Senate's proposed changes are rejected. (Art. 132 No. 2 of the House of Representatives' rules of procedure)
In addition, matters to be regulated by organic law cannot be the subject of a referendum (Article 87, Paragraph 3 of the Constitution).
Matters to be regulated by organic law
Development of fundamental rights and public freedoms
The Spanish Constitutional Court ( Tribunal Constitucional ) has consistently ruled that both the constituent elements “fundamental rights and public freedoms” and “development” are interpreted restrictively:
- The “fundamental rights and public freedoms” only include the fundamental rights standardized in Articles 15 to 29 of the Constitution, but not the general principle of equality (Article 14) and the so-called “second class” fundamental rights (Articles 30–38) and “ third class ”(Art. 39–52).
- The “development” of such a basic right, which requires an organic law, only exists if this
-
- generally or in essential aspects regulated
- E.g .: Ley Orgánica 9/1983, de 15 de julio, reguladora del derecho de reunión - law of assembly
- or is restricted.
- E.g .: Ley Orgánica 7/2006, de 21 de noviembre, de protección de la salud y de la lucha contra el dopaje en el deporte - Anti-Doping Law (through the provision that professional athletes have to undergo doping controls, the right to physical integrity is restricted)
While the basic rights “second and third class” can be regulated and restricted by simple law, Art. 81 thus places the basic rights of Art. 15–29 under the special reservation of an organic law.
Adoption of the Statute of Autonomy
By adopting the Statute of Autonomy , the 17 Autonomous Communities of Spain (regions) were constituted between 1979 and 1983 . According to Articles 146 and 151 of the Constitution, special features apply to the legislative procedure, but the requirement that the House of Representatives adopt by an absolute majority, which is characteristic of organic laws, remains.
The Statute of Autonomy is twofold: on the one hand, it is a state organic law and, on the other hand, it is the “fundamental institutional legal norm” of the Autonomous Community (Art. 147). In this respect, the functions of the Statutes of Autonomy are comparable to the German state constitutions , but they differ from these in that they are part of the (central) state legal system and the central parliament is significantly involved in their drafting, which is why the autonomous communities are not federal states are.
In particular, the Statute of Autonomy regulates the delimitation of competencies between the state and the respective autonomous community.
Suffrage principles
The electoral principles were standardized by the electoral law ( Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General - LOREG ). This comprehensively and conclusively regulates the electoral law applicable to the election of the Cortes Generales , the Spanish MEPs and the representative bodies of the municipalities and provinces (active and passive right to vote , electoral system , candidate list, election and electoral review procedures ). For the election of the Parliaments of the Autonomous Communities it is a framework law ; in particular, the determination of the electoral system is left to the Autonomous Communities themselves.
Other cases for which the constitution provides for regulation by organic law
For the following other matters, the constitution provides for regulation by organic law in various provisions (each with an example):
- Principles of military organization (Art. 8)
- Ley Orgánica 6/1980, de 1 de julio, por la que se regulan los criterios básicos de la Defensa Nacional y la Organización Militar
- Institution of the Ombudsman ( Defensor del Pueblo ) (Art. 54)
- Ley Orgánica 3/1981, de 6 de April, del Defensor del Pueblo
- Suspension of certain fundamental rights in relation to "armed gangs" and "terrorist elements" (Art. 55)
- Ley Orgánica 9/1984, de 26 de diciembre, contra la actuación de bandas armadas y elementos terroristas y de desarrollo del artículo 55.2 de la Constitución
- Abdication and clarification of doubts about the succession to the throne (Art. 57)
- Ley Orgánica 3/2014, de 18 de junio, por la que se hace efectiva la abdicación de Su Majestad el Rey Don Juan Carlos I de Borbón
- Direct election of the senators (Art. 69)
- Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General - LOREG
- Regulation of the referendum ( Iniciativa popular ) for legislative proposals (Art. 87)
- Ley Orgánica 3/1984, de 28 de marzo, reguladora de la iniciativa legislativa popular
- Regulation of the People's decision ( referéndum ) (Art. 92)
- Ley Orgánica 2/1980, de 18 de enero, sobre regulación de las distintas modalidades de referéndum
- Transfer of sovereign rights to international organizations (Art. 93)
- Ley Orgánica 10/1985, de 2 de agosto, de autorización para la adhesión de España a las Comunidades Europeas
- Determination of the functions, basic principles of action and the statutes of the police forces ( Fuerzas y Cuerpos de seguridad ) (Art. 104)
- Ley Orgánica 2/1986, de 13 de marzo, de Fuerzas y Cuerpos de Seguridad
- Composition and competence of the Council of State ( Consejo de Estado ) as an advisory body to the government (Art. 107)
- Ley Orgánica 3/1980, de 22 de April, del Consejo de Estado
- Regulation of the alarm, emergency and siege state ( estados de alarma, de excepción y de sitio ) (Art. 116)
- Ley Orgánica 4/1981, de 1 de junio, de los estados de alarma, excepción y sitio
- Constitution of the courts , regulation of the legal status of judges and the staff of the administration of justice (Art. 122)
- Ley Orgánica 6/1985, de 1 de julio, del poder judicial
- Statute and responsibilities of the “General Council of the Judiciary ” ( Consejo General del Poder Judicial ) as a self-governing body of the judiciary and procedure for the appointment of the twelve members of this body who are not proposed by the House of Representatives and the Senate (Art. 122)
- Ley Orgánica 1/1980, de 10 de enero, del Consejo General del Poder Judicial
- Determination of the maximum permissible structural deficit of the public budget and more detailed design of the " debt brake " (Art. 135)
- Ley Orgánica 2/2012, de 27 de April, de Estabilidad Presupuestaria y Sostenibilidad Financiera
- Ley Orgánica 2/1982, de 12 de mayo, del Tribunal de Cuentas
- Change of provincial boundaries (Art. 141)
- Authorization of the formation of uniprovincial autonomous communities that do not meet the requirements of Art. 143, Paragraph 1 (independent historical regional significance) (Art. 144)
- Ley Orgánica 6/1982, de 7 de julio, por la que se autoriza la constitución de la Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid
- Authorization or adoption of an autonomous status for areas not integrated into the provincial structure (Art. 144)
- Replacement of the initiation of the autonomy procedure, which is incumbent on the provinces and municipalities under Art. 143, Paragraph 1 (Art. 144)
- Ley Orgánica 13/1980, de 16 de diciembre, de sustitución en la provincia de Almería, de la iniciativa autonómica
- Amendment of the Statute of Autonomy (Art. 147)
- Ley Orgánica 6/2006, de 19 de julio, de reforma del Estatuto de Autonomía de Cataluña
- Coordination and other competencies of the Autonomous Communities with regard to the municipal police (Art. 148)
- Ley Orgánica 2/1986, de 13 de marzo, de Fuerzas y Cuerpos de Seguridad
- Framework legislation on the police forces of the Autonomous Communities (Art. 149)
- Ley Orgánica 2/1986, de 13 de marzo, de Fuerzas y Cuerpos de Seguridad
- Transfer and delegation of state competences to the autonomous communities (Art. 150)
- Ley Orgánica 9/1992, de 23 de diciembre, de transferencia de competencias a Comunidades Autónomas que accedieron a la autonomía por la vía del artículo 143 de la Constitución
- Regulation of the referendum according to Art. 151 (Art. 151)
- Ley Orgánica 2/1980, de 18 de enero, sobre regulación de las distintas modalidades de referéndum
- Conditions under which a statute of autonomy according to Art. 151 can be formed by the remaining provinces if individual provinces are rejected in a referendum (Art. 151)
- Ley Orgánica 2/1980, de 18 de enero, sobre regulación de las distintas modalidades de referéndum
- Financing the Autonomous Communities (Art. 157)
- Ley Orgánica 8/1980, de 22 de septiembre, de financiación de las Comunidades Autónomas
- Powers of the Constitutional Court ( Tribunal Constitucional ) (Art. 161)
- Ley Orgánica 2/1979, de 3 de octubre, del Tribunal Constitucional - LOTC
- Right to bring an action before the Constitutional Court (Art. 162)
- Ley Orgánica 2/1979, de 3 de octubre, del Tribunal Constitucional - LOTC
- Proceedings before the Constitutional Court, status of its members (Art. 165)
- Ley Orgánica 2/1979, de 3 de octubre, del Tribunal Constitucional - LOTC
Rank of the organic laws in the hierarchy of norms
According to the case law of the Constitutional Court, organic laws and ordinary laws have the same rank in the hierarchy of norms . H. an ordinary law is not null and void simply because it contradicts the provisions of an organic law.
However, the matters to be regulated by an organic law are protected from regulation by ordinary law via Article 28, Paragraph 2 of the Constitutional Court Act ( Ley Orgánica 2/1979, de 3 de octubre, del Tribunal Constitucional - LOTC ): According to this, the Constitutional Court can intervene the abstract ( recurso de inconstitucionalidad ) and concrete control of norms ( cuestión de inconstitucionalidad ) declare those provisions of ordinary laws unconstitutional and thus null and void that should have been regulated by an organic law.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Martin Ibler: The protection of fundamental rights in the Spanish constitution using the example of property. In: Juristenteitung 1999, p. 287 ff., Archived copy ( memento of the original from April 10, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Assembly Act. (No longer available online.) Formerly in the original ; Retrieved February 20, 2009 (Spanish). ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Congreso de los Diputados: Commentary on Article 81 of the Constitution. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on December 11, 2009 ; Retrieved February 18, 2009 (Spanish). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Anti-Doping Law. (PDF; 630 kB) In: Boletín Oficial del Estado 279/2006. Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado, November 22, 2006, accessed July 26, 2013 (Spanish).
- ↑ Tribunal Constitucional: STC 137/1986. (No longer available online.) In: Boletín Oficial del Estado 279/2006. November 6, 1986, formerly in the original ; Retrieved February 24, 2009 (Spanish). ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
