Myanmar · Legislation
Legislation and primary sources
Where to find the authoritative text of the law in Myanmar, and how to confirm it is still in force.
Sources of law, ranked
- The 2008 Constitution
- Suspended in practice since 1 February 2021; recorded but not operative.
- Colonial-era codes
- Contract Act 1872, Transfer of Property Act 1882, Evidence Act 1872, Penal Code 1861.
- State Administration Council law and orders
- The operative legislative instruments since the coup.
- Customary personal law
- Buddhist, Islamic and Hindu law applied by religion under the Burma Laws Act 1898.
- Judicial precedent
- Common-law method retained; older Burmese and Indian authorities still cited.
The legislative process
Under the 2008 Constitution, bills passed both chambers and went to the President, with disagreements resolved in joint sitting. Since February 2021 legislation is made by the State Administration Council as law or order, published in the Gazette without legislative passage, and a series of such instruments has amended the Penal Code, the electronic communications law and the criminal procedure code.
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