Rights
1984 Constitution with chronic instability and repeated dissolution of parliament
The Constitution of 1984, substantially revised in 1993 and 1996, establishes a semi-presidential republic. Guinea-Bissau has experienced repeated coups and attempted coups, and parliament has been dissolved and reconstituted several times, so constitutional practice diverges markedly from the text.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — The Supremo Tribunal de Justiça exercises constitutional review; there is no separate constitutional court.
- Deadline — Constitutional review: exercised by the Supremo Tribunal de Justiça, no dedicated constitutional court
Governing law
- Constituição da República da Guiné-Bissau1984, revised 1993 and 1996
- Lei Orgânica do Supremo Tribunal de Justiça
In practice
Guinea-Bissau has not completed a full presidential term without military interference since independence, and the absence of a dedicated constitutional court leaves review to the Supremo Tribunal de Justiça, whose independence has been repeatedly compromised. A long-promised constitutional revision remains unfinished. The topic is marked under research because the operative constitutional order is unstable rather than merely undocumented.