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Libya

State of Libya

Civil law with Islamic law as a sourceProvisional government with contested authorityIndexed· 2026-08-03
Capital
Tripoli
Population
6,900,000
Languages
Arabic
Currency
LYD

Libya · Constitution

Constitutional Declaration (interim)

The interim Constitutional Declaration issued by the National Transitional Council in August 2011, repeatedly amended, remains the nominal constitutional instrument. A Constituent Assembly produced a draft permanent constitution in 2017, but the referendum required to adopt it has never been held, and disagreement over the constitutional basis for elections has been the central obstacle to unifying the state. Any description of Libya's constitutional order as settled would be inaccurate.

The constitutional text

The interim Constitutional Declaration issued by the National Transitional Council in August 2011, repeatedly amended, remains the nominal constitutional instrument. A Constituent Assembly produced a draft permanent constitution in 2017, but the referendum required to adopt it has never been held, and disagreement over the constitutional basis for elections has been the central obstacle to unifying the state. Any description of Libya's constitutional order as settled would be inaccurate.

Separation of powers

Nominally unitary with governorates and municipalities. In practice authority is divided between competing administrations and local armed actors, and municipal councils have in many places become the most functional layer of government.

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