Angola
Angola
| Right | Section | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom of Association | History | Article 22 of the 1975 Angolan Constitution states: "Within the framework of the realization of the basic objectives of the People's Republic of Angola, the law will ensure freedom of expression, assembly, and association."
Freedom of assembly in Angola is asserted in the 1992 Angolan constitution, part II, article 32: "Freedom of expression, assembly, demonstration and all other forms of expression shall be guaranteed." The 2010 constitution of Angola guarantees freedom of association in Chapter II, section I, article 48 References: 1975 Angola Constitution: “The Constitution of the People’s Republic of Angola.” World Constitutions Illustrated, Heinonline. https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/rsl2&i=197 1992 Angola Constitution: https://constitutionnet.org/sites/default/files/Angola%20Constitution.pdf 2010 Angola Constitution: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Angola_2010 |
| Freedom of Expression | History | Article 22 of the 1975 Angolan Constitution states: "Within the framework of the realization of the basic objectives of the People's Republic of Angola, the law will ensure freedom of expression, assembly, and association."
Freedom of expression is asserted in the 1992 Angola constitution, part II, article 32: "Freedom of expression, assembly, demonstration and all other forms of expression shall be guaranteed." Under chapter two, article 31-32 of the 2010 Angolan Constitution, freedom of expression is guaranteed along with other civil rights and freedoms considered fundamental. References: 1975 Angola Constitution: “The Constitution of the People’s Republic of Angola.” World Constitutions Illustrated, Heinonline. https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/rsl2&i=197 1992 Angola Constitution: https://constitutionnet.org/sites/default/files/Angola%20Constitution.pdf 2010 Angola Constitution: Constitute. Accessed September 14, 2022. https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Angola_2010?lang=en. |
| Freedom of Religion | History | Freedom of religion was first protected by Article 7 of Angola’s 1975 Interim Constitution. It was later replaced by the Constitution of 1992, which also guaranteed the right. Article 10 of Angola’s 2010 constitution declares the country a secular state. Article 23 declares it illegal to discriminate based on religious affiliation. The constitution was ratified on January 21st, 2010.
References: 1975 Angola Constitution: “The Constitution of the People’s Republic of Angola.” World Constitutions Illustrated, Heinonline. https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/rsl2&i=197 1992 Angola Constitution: https://constitutionnet.org/sites/default/files/Angola%20Constitution.pdf 2010 Angola Constitution: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Angola_2010 |
| Freedom of the Press | History | Article 35 of the 1992 Constitution marked Angola’s first explicit legal mention of freedom of the press: “Freedom of the press shall be guaranteed and may not be subject to any censorship, especially political, ideological or artistic. The manner of the exercise of freedom of the press and adequate provisions to prevent and punish any abuse thereof shall be regulated by law” (“Constitutional Law of the Republic of Angola 1992” ).
Today, Article 44 of the 2010 Angolan Constitution maintains that “freedom of the press shall be guaranteed, and may not be subject to prior censorship, namely of a political, ideological or artistic nature” (Constitute Project, “Angola’s 2010 Constitution”). References: 1992 Angola Constitution: https://constitutionnet.org/sites/default/files/Angola%20Constitution.pdf 2010 Angola Constitution: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Angola_2010 |
| Privacy Rights | History | Article 24 of the 1975 Constitution stated: "The People's Republic of Angola guarantees individual freedoms, namely the inviolability of the home and the privacy of correspondence, subject to the limits expressly provided for by law."
Today, privacy rights are protected in Articles 32 (personal and family life), 33 (home), and 34 (correspondence and communication) of the 2010 constitution. References: 1975 Angola Constitution: “The Constitution of the People’s Republic of Angola.” World Constitutions Illustrated, Heinonline. https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/rsl2&i=197 2010 Angola Constitution: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Angola_2010 |
| Voting Rights and Suffrage | History | According to Article 20 of the 1975 Constitution, "All citizens over the age of eighteen, other than those legally deprived of political rights, have the right and the duty to take an active part in public life, to vote and to be elected or appointed to any State organ, and to discharge their mandate with complete dedication to the cause of the Fatherland and the Angolan people." However, according to Britannica.com: "The constitution of 1975 established a one-party state headed by a president who was also chairman of the MPLA, which declared itself a Marxist-Leninist vanguard party in 1977."
Article 28 of the 1992 Constitution offered a revised characterization of the right to vote: "It shall be the right and duty of all citizens aged over 18, other than those legally deprived of political and civil rights, to take an active part in public life, to vote and stand for election to any State body, and to fulfill their offices with full dedication to the cause of the Angolan nation." Article 54 of the 2010 Angola Constitution uses similar language: "1. Every citizen who has attained the age of eighteen years shall have the right to vote and stand for election for any state or local authority body and to serve their terms of office or mandates, under the terms of the Constitution and the law. 2. The right to vote may not be restricted except with regard to the incapacities and ineligibilities prescribed in the Constitution. 3. The exercise of the right to vote shall be personal and non-transferable and shall be a civic duty." References: 1975 Angola Constitution: “The Constitution of the People’s Republic of Angola.” World Constitutions Illustrated, Heinonline. https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/rsl2&i=197 1992 Angola Constitution: https://constitutionnet.org/sites/default/files/Angola%20Constitution.pdf 2010 Angola Constitution: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Angola_2010 https://www.britannica.com/place/Angola/Government-and-society |