Rights
1987 Constitution, Dutch civil law, with a Constitutional Court since 2020
Suriname is the only Dutch-speaking state in the Americas and applies Dutch-derived civil law. The 1987 Constitution vests legislative power in the Nationale Assemblée, which elects the President. A Constitutional Court, provided for in 1987, was finally installed in 2020 and can review legislation against the Constitution and treaties.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Unitary republic; Dutch-tradition civil law
- Deadline — Constitutional review applications follow the Wet Constitutioneel Hof procedures
- Deadline — Habeas corpus-type relief sought through the ordinary courts
Governing law
- Grondwet van de Republiek Suriname1987
- Wet Constitutioneel Hof2019
In practice
The Constitutional Court's installation in 2020, 33 years after the Constitution provided for it, was a significant institutional development and it promptly addressed the amnesty legislation connected to the 1982 December murders. Suriname's legal literature and legislation are in Dutch, and Dutch jurisprudence remains persuasive, which sets it apart from every other South American system.