Rights
A 1991 constitution suspended in practice by partition and war
The 1991 unification constitution remains the nominal framework, but since 2014 the state has been divided between the internationally recognised government and the Houthi authorities in Sanaa.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Nominally a Supreme Court in Sanaa. In practice separate judicial hierarchies operate in Houthi-controlled and government-controlled areas.
Governing law
- Constitution of the Republic of Yemen 1991, amended 1994 and 2001
- Law 1 of 1991 on the Judicial Authority
In practice
Any account of Yemeni constitutional law that describes a single functioning system is inaccurate. The 1991 constitution formally governs, and the draft federal constitution of 2015 was never adopted. Since 2014 the Houthi authorities have administered Sanaa and the northern highlands with their own appointments and their own Supreme Political Council, while the recognised government operates from Aden through a Presidential Leadership Council formed in 2022. Courts in both areas issue judgments in the name of the Republic. Which authority controls the relevant territory determines which law is enforced in practice, and this entry is recorded as research rather than reviewed because the position cannot be verified from open sources with confidence.