List of Constitutions and Some Provisions
See: Louis Joseph Janvier. LES CONSTITUTIIONS D'HAITI--1801-1885. Paris, 1886.
Heinl, p. 310. 15 constitutions from 1801-1889
- Constitution of 1801 May 9. (San Domingue)
Heinl p. 96/97. It went to effect on July 8, 1801
- Toussaint governor for life and right to name successor
- plans to import black slaves and free them like indentured slaves.
- Constitution of 1804 (Bellegarde-Smith, p. 44 for good summary of key
provisions of this constitution (or is it the next?--check)
- Constitution of 1805 (Dupuy) Created the empire and emperor for life with the
right to name his successor.
(Heinl, p. 134) First constitution of Haiti herself.
- Constitution of 1806. Petion. He largely wrote it.
- Constitution of 1807 Christophe. Contained no prohibition against foreign
ownership of land.
- Constitution of 1811 which estalishes royalty.Christophe. Contained no prohibition against foreign
ownership of land.
- Constitution of 1816. Laws by presidential fiat (Petion),
except for taxation. See Heinl p. 151-152 for some details of this constitution.
- Constitution of 1843 (Bellegarde-Smith cites this as a particularly advanced
constitution. Dec. 30, 1843. Heinl
- Constitution during Riche's regiem. He restored the Constitution of 1816. (Sir
Spenser St. John, p. 92.) Heinl mentions this too.
- Constitution of Sept. 20, 1849. New constitution under Faustin I was a
constitution for an emperor. (Heinl)
- Constitution of 1874. Under Domingue. The Senate was to be selected from a
list sent in to the Government; the executive ruled for 8 years and was elected by the Assembly; the executive had the power to dissolve the Chambers and to establish a Council of STate to aid the Government. Power was given to the president for one year to change the judges and magistrates.
- Constitution of 1879
- Constitution of 1889 (Bellegarde-Smith cites this as a particularly advanced
constitution.
(Heinl, p. ) Oct. 9, 1889. Modelled on 1879, which was itself modelled on 1846 constitution.
- Constitution of 1902 (Bellegarde-Smith cites this as a particularly advanced
constitution.
- Constitution of June 12, 1918 (sham U.S. election 98,225 for only 769 against.
(Schmidt) Also claims that Roosevelt claim to have written this constitution is a gross exaggeration.
- Constitution of 1932 Heinl, p. 509. this constitution was reinstated on Aug. 12,
1942. Heinl, p. 549.
- Constitution of 1935. Fascist and anti-democratic. (Nicholls, 1979, p. 184.
Heinl, p. 518. June 2, 1935. Allowed Vincent to succeed himself.
- Constitution of 1946, Nov. 22. Constitution of Dumarsais Estime. Heinl, p. 552.
- Constitution of 1950 gave vote to women. (Their first vote was Duvalier)
(Bellegarde-Smith cites this as a particularly advanced constitution.
Nov. 28, 1950. Heinl says (p. 564) that Dantes Bellegarde was the primary author.
- Constitution of 1957 see Heinl, p. 589.
- Constitution of 1964--allowed for Duvalier as president for life.
- Constitution of 1971
- Constitution of 1983
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Full Text Of The Current Constitution Of Haiti From March 29, 1987.
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Bob Corbett
corbetre@webster.edu