Iour Character|st|cs of the Const|tut|on

1 Supreme (s321) ln Lhe case of confllcL wlLh ordlnary or non consLlLuLlonal law
(sLaLuLes CL) Lhe CA wlll overrlde Slmllarly sLaLuLes prevall over CL
2 Lntrenched (s323) 1he CA may only be amended by speclal procedures (s3849)
auLhorlzed by Lhe CA (noL by ordlnary sLaLuLe oLherwlse would noL be supreme)
a s381 Ceneral amendlng (7/30 formula) no unanlmous consenL 8equlres 7 ouL of
10 provlnces maklng up 30 of Lhe LoLal populaLlon of Canada Anu Lhe federal govL
(SenaLe and PofC) Lo agree
b s41 unanlmlLy procedure le offlce of Lhe Cueen/CC/LC alLer seaLs of a
provlnce ln Lhe PofC composlLlon of Lhe SCC amendlng formula use of Lng or lrench
lang (sub[ecL Lo s43)
c s4443 Solo federal and provlnclal procedures (sub[ecL Lo quallflcaLlons)
Note alLhough lL ls dlfflculL Lo change Lhe CA by formal amendmenL Lhere are oLher
mechanlsms by whlch Lhe CA evolvesle [udlclal lnLerpreLaLlon
3 8oLh 'wr|tten and unwr|tten' WhaL does Lhe CA lnclude (s322)? consLlLuLlonal
documenLs and consLlLuLlonal CL CA 1982 CA 1867 schedules amendmenLs Lhe word
'lncludes' means Lhe llsL ls noL exhausLlve and lncludes unwrlLLen laws (ke kemooetotloo
of IoJqes ke 5ecessloo of Ooebec tbe tole of low feJetollsm Jemoctocy tespect fot
mlootltles) consLlLuLlonal CL rules LhaL are so fundamenLal LhaL Lhey have galned
consLlLuLlonal sLaLus (le s7 'prlnclples of fundamenLal [usLlce') convenLlons (le
responslble govL) 8oyal roclamaLlon
rgan|c 8ody of Law consLlLuLlon ls capable of growLh and change (JwotJs v AC
coooJo)

8LAM8LL
We Lhe soverelgn llllplno people lmplorlng Lhe ald of AlmlghLy Cod ln order Lo bulld a
[usL and humane socleLy and esLabllsh a CovernmenL LhaL shall embody our ldeals and
asplraLlons promoLe Lhe common good conserve and develop our paLrlmony and
secure Lo ourselves and our posLerlLy Lhe blesslngs of lndependence and democracy
under Lhe rule of law and a reglme of LruLh [usLlce freedom love equallLy and peace
do ordaln and promulgaLe Lhls ConsLlLuLlon

nA1lCnAL 1L88l1C8? arLlcle 1
1he naLlonal LerrlLory comprlses Lhe hlllpplne archlpelago wlLh all Lhe lslands and
waLers embraced Lhereln and all oLher LerrlLorles over whlch Lhe hlllpplnes has
soverelgnLy or [urlsdlcLlon conslsLlng of lLs LerresLrlal fluvlal and aerlal domalns
lncludlng lLs LerrlLorlal sea Lhe seabed Lhe subsoll Lhe lnsular shelves and oLher
submarlne areas 1he waLers around beLween and connecLlng Lhe lslands of Lhe
archlpelago regardless of Lhelr breadLh and dlmenslons form parL of Lhe lnLernal
waLers of Lhe hlllpplnes