The Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2019) |
| Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands of 24 August 1815 | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Original title | (in Dutch) Grondwet voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden van 24 augustus 1815 |
| Jurisdiction |  Kingdom of the Netherlands(most contents applies only to the Netherlands proper) |
| Ratified | 24 August 1815 |
| Date effective | 24 August 1815 |
| System | Constitutional monarchy |
| Government structure | |
| Branches | Three (executive, legislature and judiciary) |
| Chambers | Two (Senate and the House of Representatives) |
| Executive | Prime Minister-led Council of Ministers responsible to the House of Representatives |
| Federalism | Unitary |
| Electoral college | No |
| Last amended | 22 February 2023 |
| Supersedes | Grondwet van den Staat der Verëenigde Nederlanden (1814) |
| Part of the Politics series |
![Azure, billetty Or a lion with a coronet Or armed and langued Gules holding in his dexter paw a sword Argent hilted Or and in the sinister paw seven arrows Argent pointed and bound together Or. [The seven arrows stand for the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht.] The shield is crowned with the (Dutch) royal crown and supported by two lions Or armed and langued gules. They stand on a scroll Azure with the text (Or) "Je Maintiendrai" (French for "I will maintain".)](view_image.php?q=Constitution_of_the_Netherlands&sq=&lang=&file=File:State_coat_of_arms_of_the_Netherlands.svg) |
|---|
 Politics portal |
The Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands of 24 August 1815 (Dutch: Grondwet voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden van 24 augustus 1815) is one of two fundamental documents governing the Kingdom of the Netherlands[1] as well as the fundamental law of the Netherlands proper (the territory of the Kingdom mainly situated in Europe). The Kingdom of the Netherlands also includes Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten: there is an overarching instrument of the entire kingdom that has constitution characteristics: the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Sint Maarten is the only country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands that has a constitutional court to govern the Sint Maarten legislature.
The constitution of the Netherlands is only applicable to the Netherlands proper, i.e. the territory in Europe and its public bodies of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, the latter three since 2010 special municipalities, in the Caribbean, except when the Charter does not cover a certain legal subject. It is generally seen as directly derived from the one issued in 1815, constituting a constitutional monarchy; it is the third oldest constitution still in use worldwide. A revision in 1848 instituted a system of parliamentary democracy. In 1983, the most recent major revision of the Constitution of the Netherlands was undertaken, almost fully rewriting the text and adding new civil rights.
The text is sober, devoid of legal or political doctrine and includes a bill of rights. It prohibits the judiciary from testing laws and treaties against the constitution, as this is considered a prerogative of the legislature. There is no constitutional court in the Netherlands.