roved March 1987; suspended June 1988 with most articles
reinstated March 1989; in October 1991 government claimed to be
observing the constitution; returned to constitutional rule in
October 1994

Holy See (Vatican City)
new Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope John
Paul II on 26 November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaces
the first Fundamental Law of 1929)

Honduras
11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended 1995

Hong Kong
Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National
People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"

Hungary
18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949, revised 19 April
1972; 18 October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals
and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and
also established the principle of parliamentary oversight; 1997
amendment streamlined the judicial system

Iceland
16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944

India
26 January 1950

Indonesia
August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and
Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959

Iran
2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the
presidency and eliminate the prime ministership

Iraq
interim constitution signed 8 March 2004; note - the
Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) was enacted 8 March 2004 to
govern the country until an elected Iraqi Transitional Government
can draft and ratify a new constitution in 2005

Ireland
29 December 1937; adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite

Israel
no formal constitution; some of the functions of a
constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948),
the Basic Laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli
citizenship law

Italy
passed 11 December 1947; effective 1 January 1948; amended
many times

Jamaica
6 August 1962

Japan
3 May 1947

Jersey
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Jordan
8 January 1952

Kazakhstan
adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995; first
post-independence constitution was adopted 28 January 1993

Kenya
12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with
amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1997, and 2001

Kiribati
12 July 1979

Korea, North
adopted 1948, completely revised 27 December 1972,
revised again in April 1992 and September 1998

Korea, South
17 July 1948

Kuwait
approved and promulgate