Organic law facts for kids

An organic law is a special kind of law that creates the basic rules for how a government, a company, or any other organization works. Think of it as the main blueprint or instruction manual for how things should be run. A constitution is a very common type of organic law.

Organic Laws Around the World

Organic laws are used in different ways in various countries to set up important rules.

France

In France, organic laws (called lois organiques) are a specific set of laws mentioned in the Constitution of France. They are more important than regular laws.

• How they are made: The Parliament of France has to follow a special process to pass them.
• Approval: Before they become official, the Constitutional Council of France must check them to make sure they follow the Constitution.
• Why they are useful: Organic laws help the government be flexible. For example, they set the rules for the national budget and how elections are run. This way, they don't have to change the main Constitution every time a small rule needs to be updated.

Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Basic Law is the organic law for Hong Kong. It's a national law from China.

• What it does: This law explains how Hong Kong is governed. It has nine chapters, 160 articles, and three extra parts.
• Its purpose: It was created to follow an agreement made in 1994 between China and the United Kingdom about Hong Kong's future.
• When it started: The Basic Law became official on July 1, 1997. This was when Hong Kong was handed over from the UK to China. It replaced Hong Kong's old colonial laws.
• Key ideas: The Basic Law includes the "one country, two systems" idea. This means Hong Kong is part of China but has its own system of government and laws. It also covers the rights of people in Hong Kong and how its local government works.

Spain

In Spain, an Organic Law is a type of law that sits between a regular law and the main Spanish Constitution of 1978.

• How it's passed: To become an Organic Law, it needs a special majority vote in the Congress of Deputies.
• What it covers: The Spanish Constitution says that certain important areas must be handled by Organic Laws. These include laws about basic human rights and freedoms. They also include the laws that create the rules for Spain's different regions.
• Its origin: This idea for Organic Laws in Spain was inspired by the system used in France.

United States

In the United States, the main organic laws are found in the first volume of the U.S. Code. These are the foundational documents that shaped the country.

• Key documents: They include:

* The Declaration of Independence (from July 4, 1776). * The Articles of Confederation (from November 15, 1777). * The Northwest Ordinance (from July 13, 1787). * The Constitution (from September 17, 1787).

• Their importance: These documents set up the basic structure and principles of the United States government.

See also

• Special law
• Organic Laws of Oregon
• Organic Statute of Macau