Constitution of the Netherlands

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Constitution of the Netherlands
Overview
Original title	(in Dutch) Grondwet voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden van 24 augustus 1815
Jurisdiction	Kingdom of the Netherlands
Ratified	24 August 1815; 208 years ago (1815-08-24)
Date effective	24 August 1815; 208 years ago (1815-08-24)
System	Constitutional monarchy
Government structure
Branches	Three (executive, legislature and judiciary)
Chambers	Two (Senate and the House of Representatives)
Executive	Prime Minister-led Council of Ministers responsible to the House of Representatives
Federalism	Unitary
Electoral college	No
Last amended	22 February 2023; 14 months ago (2023-02-22)
Supersedes	Grondwet van den Staat der Verëenigde Nederlanden (1814)

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The Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Grondwet voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden) is one of two fundamental documents governing the Kingdom of the Netherlands^[1] as well as the fundamental law of the European territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is generally seen as directly derived from the one issued in 1815, constituting a constitutional monarchy; it is the third oldest constitution still in use worldwide. A revision in 1848 instituted a system of parliamentary democracy. In 1983, the most recent major revision of the Constitution of the Netherlands was undertaken, almost fully rewriting the text and adding new civil rights.

The text is sober, devoid of legal or political doctrine and includes a bill of rights. It prohibits the judiciary from testing laws and treaties against the constitution, as this is considered a prerogative of the legislature. There is no constitutional court in the Netherlands.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands also includes Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten: there is an overarching instrument of the entire kingdom that has constitution characteristics: the Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Sint Maarten is the only country in the kingdom of the Netherlands that has a constitutional court to govern the Sint Maarten legislature