Lower Saxony Constitution

Basic data
Title:	Lower Saxony Constitution
Abbreviation:	NV, Nds Verf, Verf ND (all not official)
Type:	State constitution
Scope:	Lower Saxony
Legal matter:	Constitutional law
References :	GVBl Sb 100-1
Issued on:	May 19, 1993 ; (Nds. GVBl. P. 107)
Entry into force on:	June 1, 1993
Last change by:	Art. 1 G of 30 June 2011 ; (Nds. GVBl. P. 210)
Effective date of the ; last change:	July 8, 2011 ; (Art. 7 G of June 30, 2011)
	Please note the note on the applicable legal version.

The Lower Saxony Constitution is the constitution of the State of Lower Saxony . It has been in force since June 1, 1993 and replaced the Provisional Lower Saxony Constitution from 1951.

Article 1 paragraph 2 of the Lower Saxony Constitution stipulates that the State of Lower Saxony is a free, republican, democratic, social constitutional state in the Federal Republic of Germany that is committed to protecting the natural foundations of life and is part of the European international community.

history

In contrast to that of other state constitutions, the history of Lower Saxony's state constitutions is clearly linked to the development of Germany after 1945.

In 1951, with the Provisional Lower Saxony Constitution (VNV), a transitional constitution was passed that regulated the state foundations in the period up to the reunification of the two-part Germany . Since the Provisional Lower Saxony Constitution could refer to the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, which was created in 1949 , one waived - such as B. also in the constitution of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg - on a basic rights catalog.

The historical circumstances were taken into account by Art. 56 VNV: "The cultural and historical interests of the former states of Hanover, Oldenburg, Braunschweig and Schaumburg-Lippe are to be protected and promoted through legislation and administration."

With the reunification of Germany on October 3, 1990, the provisional reservation no longer existed. Thus, the new Lower Saxony constitution of 1993 was built on the basis of the Provisional Lower Saxony Constitution, to which, among other things, basic rights and state goals were added. Art. 72 NV adopts the provisions of Art. 56 VNV.

Constitutional amendments

The Lower Saxony constitution has been amended six times so far:

Law amending the Lower Saxony Constitution of 6 June 1994 (Nds. GVBl. P. 229)
Second law amending the Lower Saxony constitution of November 20, 1997 (Nds. GVBl. P. 480)
Art. 1 of the law amending the Lower Saxony constitution and the law on the State Court of Justice of January 27, 2006 (Nds. GVBl. P. 58)
Art. 1 of the law amending the Lower Saxony constitution of June 18, 2009 (Nds. GVBl. 276)
Art. 1 of the law on the revision of the legal status of the state commissioner for data protection of 30 June 2011 (Nds. GVBl. P. 210)
Art. 1 of the law on the debt brake in Lower Saxony of 23 October 2019 (Nds. GVBl. P. 288)

literature

Volker Epping , Hermann Butzer , Ulrich Haltern , Veith Mehde, Kay Waechter, Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf (ed.): Hanover Commentary on the Lower Saxony Constitution. Nomos Verlag, Baden-Baden 2012, ISBN 978-3-8329-6005-6 .
Lothar Hagebölling : Lower Saxony constitution. Comment. Municipal and School Publishing House, Wiesbaden 1996.
Heinrich Korte (Greetings): Constitution and administration of the state of Lower Saxony. 2nd edition, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1986.
Heinzgeorg Neumann: The Lower Saxony constitution, hand commentary. 3rd edition, Boorberg Verlag, Stuttgart, Munich, Hanover, Berlin, Weimar, Dresden 2000, ISBN 3-415-02651-5 .

Web links