1940 Constitution of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic

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Constitution of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
1940 Constitution of the Latvian SSR.jpg
Original titleLatvijas Padomju Sociālistiskās Republikas Konstitūcija
JurisdictionLatvian Soviet Socialist Republic
Created23 July 1940
Ratified25 August 1940
Date effective30 August 1940[1]
Repealed18 April 1978
Author(s)People's Saeima of Latvia
Signatories2 signatories (Chairman of the Provisional Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR, Secretary of the Provisional Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR)[2]

The 1940 Constitution of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (Latvian: Latvijas Padomju Sociālistiskās Republikas Konstitūcija; Russian: Конституция Латвийской Советской Социалистической Республики, translit. Konstitutsiya Latviyskoy Sovetskoy Sotsialisticheskoy Respubliki) was adopted by the 2nd session of the People's Saeima of Latvia on August 25, 1940.

The constitution was based on the 1936 Constitution of the Soviet Union.[3] The basic provisions of both constitutions were basically same, except the second chapter of the constitution, on which Latvia retains its pre-Soviet territorial division.

History[edit]

Two days after the formation of the Latvian SSR on 21 July 1940, which was formalized by the Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On the Entry of the Latvian SSR into the Soviet Union" on 5 August 1940,[4] the People's Saeima of Latvia formed a commission for the constitution of the Latvian SSR, which consisted of 15 deputies headed by Žanis Spure [lv].[5] The commission formulates the constitution by translating the 1936 Constitution of the Soviet Union and made several changes to the translated version that account the specific situation of Latvia. The final constitution symbolizes "the tremendous upsurge of the masses who overthrew the exploiting classes".[6]

The constitution itself was approved by acclamation in the 2nd session of the People's Saeima of Latvia on August 25, 1940. The constitution was first published on the News of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Latvian SSR (Latvijas PSR Augstākās Padomes Prezidija Ziņotājs) on 3 October 1940. The constitution was amended in the sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR.[7] The constitution lasted for 38 years, which was replaced by the new Brezhnevist Constitution on April 18, 1978, at the extraordinary eighth session of the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR.

Structure[edit]

The Constitution is divided into 11 chapters and 118 articles.[8]

  1. The Organization of Society
  2. The Organization of the State
  3. The Highest Organs of State Authority of the Latvian SSR
  4. The Organs of Government of the Latvian SSR
  5. The Organs of the Local Governments
  6. The Budget of the Latvian SSR
  7. The Courts and the Procurator's Office
  8. Fundamental Rights and Duties of Citizens
  9. The Electoral System
  10. Arms, Flag, Capital
  11. Procedure for Amending the Constitution

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR 1940, p. 7
  2. ^ Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR 1940, p. 7
  3. ^ Valters 2001, p. 189
  4. ^ Lipantov & Savenikov 1957, p. 815
  5. ^ Grava-Kreituse 1995, pp. 547–553
  6. ^ Traynin 1940, p. 19
  7. ^ Supreme Soviet of the USSR 1951, p. 295
  8. ^ Supreme Soviet of the USSR 1951, pp. 296–320

Bibliography[edit]

  • Grava-Kreituse, Ilga (1995), Latvijas okupācija un aneksija 1939-1940. Dokumenti un materiāli [Latvian occuation and annexation 1939-1940. Documents and materials] (in Latvian), Riga: Preses nams, ISBN 978-998-4908-50-2
  • Valters, Pēteris (2001), Valsts un tiesību vēsture jēdzienos un terminos [History of state and law in concepts and terms] (in Latvian), Riga: Divergens, ISBN 978-998-4929-61-3
  • Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1951), Конституция (Основной Закон) СССР; Конституции (Основные Законы) Союзных Советских Социалистических Республик [Constitution (Basic Law) of the USSR; Constitution (Basic Law) of the Socialist Soviet Republics] (in Russian), Moscow: State Publishing House of Legal Literature
  • Traynin, Ilya Pavlovich (1940), Конституции новых союзных республик [Constitutions of the New Union Republics] (in Russian), Moscow
  • Lipantov, A.A.; Savenikov, N.T. (1957), История Советской Конституции (в документах). 1917 – 1956 [History of the Soviet Constitution (in documents). 1917 - 1956] (in Russian), Moscow: Gozyurizdat
  • Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR (3 October 1940), "Latvijas Padomju Sociālistiskās Republikas Konstitūcija (Pamatlikums)" [Constitution of the Latvian SSR], Latvijas PSR Augstākās Padomes Prezidija Ziņotājs (in Latvian), Riga (29)
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