Author: Constitution Watchdog

The European Commission has formally initiated infringement proceedings against the Slovak Republic, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing tension between Brussels and Bratislava regarding the rule of law. As of November 21, 2025, the Commission issued a letter of formal notice to the Slovak government, citing fundamental violations of the European Union’s legal order arising from recent constitutional amendments. These reforms, which entered into force on November 1, 2025, strike at the heart of the Union’s foundational architecture by explicitly challenging the principle of the primacy of EU law. The Commission’s action underscores the severity of the legal divergence,…

The constitutional discourse in Pakistan has entered a critical new phase, pivoting sharply from judicial and military restructuring to the fundamental architecture of federal fiscal federalism. Following the ratification of the 27th Amendment earlier this month—which significantly reshaped the judiciary and military command structures—the legislative focus has now shifted to a proposed 28th Amendment. This emerging debate centers on the contentious Article 160(3A) of the Constitution, a provision that currently guarantees that the provincial share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award cannot be less than the previous award. We are closely monitoring this development as it represents a potential…

In a landmark judicial development that fundamentally alters the electoral jurisprudence of Bangladesh, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has issued a unanimous verdict reinstating the non-partisan Caretaker Government system. Delivering the judgment on November 20, 2025, a seven-member full bench led by Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed declared the 13th Amendment to the Constitution—which originally established the caretaker mechanism in 1996—to be constitutionally valid and operative. This decisive ruling effectively nullifies the controversial 2011 judgment rendered under former Chief Justice A.B.M. Khairul Haque, which had abolished the system and was widely criticized by legal scholars for facilitating…

We currently turn our gaze toward a startling administrative paradox emerging from the Anchorage School District in Alaska, where the machinery of bureaucratic procedure recently collided with the bedrock of American jurisprudence. In an incident that defies both historical literacy and common sense, the district affixed a disclaimer to pamphlets containing the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, explicitly stating that the school system “does not endorse these materials or the viewpoints expressed.” This disclaimer, a standard adhesive shield typically reserved for third-party advertisements or controversial external solicitations, was inexplicably applied to the very charters that established the legal…

The fragile equilibrium of our constitutional order faces a severe stress test as of late November 2025, marked by an unprecedented escalation in rhetorical hostility between the Executive branch and members of the Legislative body. We are closely monitoring a developing situation in Washington, D.C., where the foundational separation of powers is being tested by explicit threats of violence directed at elected officials. On Thursday, November 20, a coalition of six United States lawmakers—comprising both Senators and Representatives with backgrounds in national security and military service—was compelled to issue a formal reaffirmation of their oath to the Constitution. This extraordinary…

The current legislative landscape regarding Malaysia’s parliamentary integrity remains static, as the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, has explicitly confirmed that the federal government holds no immediate intention to amend the Federal Constitution concerning party-hopping. This statement serves as a definitive rejoinder to the recent political and legal discourse calling for a tightening of the constitutional framework to address perceived lacunae in the operation of the anti-defection mechanisms. As it stands, the Executive has signaled that the existing provisions—specifically the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 3) Act 2022—are deemed sufficient for the…

The United States District Court’s recent ruling on the Texas statute mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms constitutes a pivotal moment in the ongoing national discourse regarding the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia delivered a decisive finding, holding that Senate Bill 10 (SB 10) impermissibly violates the Establishment Clause, which fundamentally prohibits governmental action that establishes or favors a religion. According to verified search data on the matter, this injunction applies specifically to the school districts involved in the litigation, yet the ruling’s constitutional foundation effectively serves as…

The current constitutional landscape in India is defined by a significant judicial challenge concerning the proliferation of state-level anti-conversion legislation, a development closely watched by legal scholars and constitutional advocates nationwide. Specifically, attention is fixed upon the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act of 2025, which the Jaipur Catholic Welfare Society has swiftly petitioned the Supreme Court to invalidate. According to reports compiled by Agenzia Fides, the Court has ruled the petition admissible and mandated that the Rajasthan government provide a clear clarification. This action signals a judicial readiness to scrutinize the legislation’s integrity, with the plaintiffs’ counsel explicitly…

As we monitor the rapid evolution of Pakistan’s constitutional architecture, our immediate focus has shifted to the Sindh High Court, where the implementation of the recently enacted constitutional amendments has precipitated a significant legal challenge. We are currently tracking a critical petition filed against a newly promulgated ordinance—pushed through by an acting governor—which fundamentally alters the jurisdictional landscape of the provincial judicature. This ordinance mandates that “Constitutional Benches” (CBs), constituted under the newly inserted Article 202A, shall possess exclusive jurisdiction over all matters falling within the purview of Article 199 of the Constitution. This development is not merely procedural; it…

The Bulgarian Constitutional Court (KS) recently delivered a definitive interpretative decision on November 18, 2025, clarifying the precise boundaries of institutional authority regarding the initiation of a national referendum. This ruling arose in the crucial context of the former National Assembly (NS) Speaker’s refusal to submit President Radev’s proposal for a national plebiscite concerning potential Eurozone accession on January 1, 2026. The matter hinges on the delicate separation of powers and the constitutional mechanism for direct democracy, demanding immediate and rigorous analysis by legal scholars focused on constitutional governance. In its authoritative disposition, the Court unambiguously determined that the Speaker…