Belgium
Belgium
| Right | Section | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom of Association | History | Article 25 of the 27 October 1830 Draft Constitution of Belgium asserted the right to association.
The 1831 Constitution of Belgium, ratified February 7th, asserted the right to freedom of association in Article 20. In the current constitution freedom of association is found in Article 27. References: English translation of the French text of the draft of the constitution of 27 October 1830 35 (2009): https://heinonline-org.proxygw.wrlc.org/HOL/Page?collection=cow&handle=hein.cow/zzbe0096&id=5&men_tab=srchresults 1831 Constitution of Belgium: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Belgium_1831 English translation of the Belgian Constitution as updated following the revision of 17 March 2021: https://www.dekamer.be/kvvcr/pdf_sections/publications/constitution/GrondwetUK.pdf |
| Freedom of Expression | History | Article 20 of the 27 October 1830 Draft Constitution of Belgium asserted the right to opinion: "The freedom of opinion in all matters is guaranteed."
In Belgium freedom of expression is guaranteed by Article 14 of the 1831 constitution: "The freedom of religions, their public exercise, as well as the liberty of expressing their opinions on every matter, are guaranteed; reserving the right of repressing crimes committed in the exercise of these liberties." References: English translation of the French text of the draft of the constitution of 27 October 1830 35 (2009): https://heinonline-org.proxygw.wrlc.org/HOL/Page?collection=cow&handle=hein.cow/zzbe0096&id=5&men_tab=srchresults 1831 Constitution of Belgium: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Belgium_1831 |
| Freedom of Religion | History | Articles 20 and 21 of the 27 October 1830 Draft Constitution of Belgium described protection of freedom of religion. Article 20 protected freedom of opinion, and Article 21 stated that "The public exercise of a belief [culte] may not be impeded except by virtue of a law, and only in the case in which it troubles the public order and tranquility."
Articles 14-16 of Belgium’s 1831 Constitution codified protections of freedom of religion. However, Article 14 outlines legal limits to this freedom: “The freedom of religions, their public exercise, as well as the liberty of expressing their opinions on every matter, are guaranteed; reserving the right of repressing crimes committed in the exercise of these liberties.” References: English translation of the French text of the draft of the constitution of 27 October 1830 35 (2009): https://heinonline-org.proxygw.wrlc.org/HOL/Page?collection=cow&handle=hein.cow/zzbe0096&id=5&men_tab=srchresults 1831 Constitution of Belgium: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Belgium_1831 |
| Freedom of the Press | History | Article 23 of the 27 October 1830 Draft Constitution of Belgium states that “The press is free. Censorship [la censure] should never be established, and cautioning of writers, editors or printers may not be demanded.” Article 18 of the 1831 Belgium Constitution guaranteed freedom of the press using similar language.
References: English translation of the French text of the draft of the constitution of 27 October 1830 35 (2009): https://heinonline-org.proxygw.wrlc.org/HOL/Page?collection=cow&handle=hein.cow/zzbe0096&id=5&men_tab=srchresults 1831 Constitution of Belgium: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Belgium_1831 |
| Privacy Rights | History | Article 11 of the 27 October 1830 Draft Constitution of Belgium articulated a defense of the right to privacy in the home, and Article 27 did the same for privacy of correspondence. Articles 10 and 22 of the 1831 Belgium Constitution guaranteed privacy in the home and correspondence, respectively.
References: English translation of the French text of the draft of the constitution of 27 October 1830 35 (2009): https://heinonline-org.proxygw.wrlc.org/HOL/Page?collection=cow&handle=hein.cow/zzbe0096&id=5&men_tab=srchresults 1831 Constitution of Belgium: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Belgium_1831 |
| Voting Rights and Suffrage | History | Belgian citizens are automatically registered on the electoral rolls when reaching the age of 18 and are subject to compulsory voting under Article 62 of the Belgian Constitution (Legislationline, “The Belgian Constitution”). Universal suffrage rights date to 1948, when women were granted the right to vote. The minimum age to vote was lowered to 18 years in 1981. (The Belgian Senate, "Parliamentary Election")
References: Legislation Online, "The Belgian Constitution": https://legislationline.org/sites/default/files/documents/98/BELG_Constitution.pdf The Belgian Senate, "Parliamentary Election": https://www.senate.be/english/LegElectionsEN.html |