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The Senate at Work

The Enactment of a Constitutional Amendment

Under the Constitution, the procedures for the passage of a Constitutional Amendment Law and an Ordinary Law differ as follows:

  • the Standing Committee having jurisdiction over the subject matter considers the bill in a reporting capacity;
  • a constitutional amendment bill must be passed a second time by each House after no less than three months from its first passage [this is known as 'double reading'];
  • in the second reading, such bill must receive at least an absolute majority of the members of each House;
  • if a constitutional amendment bill is passed with a majority of less than two-thirds of the members of either House in the second reading, it is published in the Official Gazette but not promulgated and one-fifth of the members of either House, five-hundred thousand voters or five Regional Councils may request to hold a referendum on the bill within three months of publication. If the bill receives a two-thirds majority in both Houses, it is published in the Official Gazette and promulgated.

Additional informations