Keywords
constitution
legal language
legal standard
legilinguistics
How to Cite
Abstract
Preamble to the Constitution is a special type of legal text, which differs significantly from the other legislative texts, both in terms of vocabulary, syntax and semantics. This paper aims to make the characteristics of the legal language of the preamble to the Constitution – its content, form and function it plays in the legal system. The linguistic corpus is composed of over twenty preambles to constitutions of European countries. The results show that, despite some differences between the preambles of individual European countries, there are many features in common – almost all mention the values and principles, considered as fundamental to the nation, such as independence, freedom or democracy. Some preambles also refer to the history of the country or religion and to the person of God – both indirectly and directly. Despite the fact that the preamble in terms of language is not like other legal texts, it has the characteristics of a normative act.References
Bała, Paweł. 2016. Invocatio Dei w Konstytucji RP z 2 kwietnia 1997 r. w perspektywie porównawczej i historycznej, http://www.bibliotekacyfrowa.pl/Content/39049/016.pdf, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Définitions : préambule – Dictionnaire de français Larousse, http://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/préambule/63282?q=preambule, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Skrzydło, Wiesław. 2009. Konstytucja Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej. Komentarz. Warszawa : Wolters Kluwer Polska.
Stefaniuk, Małgorzata. 2005. Preambuła do Konstytucji Rp z 2 kwietnia 1997 roku w orzecznictwie Trybunału Konstytucyjnego. Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska Lublin – Polonia. Sectio G Ius. Vol. L/LI 2003/2004. ss. 203-223.
Stefaniuk, Małgorzata Ewa. 2009. Preambuła aktu normatywnego w doktrynie oraz w procesie stanowienia i stosowania polskiego prawa w latach 1989-2007. Lublin : Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej 2009.
Décisions :
Décision du Tribunal Constitutionnel de 11 mai 2007, nº K 34/97, otk.trybunal.gov.pl/orzeczenia/teksty/otk/2007/K_02_07.doc, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Décision du Tribunal Constitutionnel de 26 juin 2000, sign. 29/00. http://otk.trybunal.gov.pl/orzeczenia/teksty/otkpdf/2000/Ts029z 00.pdf, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Décision du Tribunal Constitutionnel de 3 juin 1997, nº K 34/97, http://otk.trybunal.gov.pl/orzeczenia/teksty/otkpdf/1998/k_34_9 7.pdf, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitutions :
Constitution de l’Espagne, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/es1978.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de l’Irlande, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/ie.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de l’Ukraine, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/ua2011.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de la Fédération de Russie, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/ru2008.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de la Grèce, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/gr1975.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de la Hongrie (officiellement nommée « Loi fondamentale de la Hongrie »), http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/hu2011.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de la Moldavie, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/md1994.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de la Principauté l’Andorre, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/and1993.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de la République d’Estonie, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/ee1992.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de la République de Biélorussie, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/by1996.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de la République de Croatie, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/hr.htm, consulté 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de la République de Lituanie, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/lt1992.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de la République de Macédoine, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/mk1991.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de la République de Pologne, http://www.sejm.gov.pl/prawo/konst/francuski/kon1.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de la République du Portugal, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/pt1976.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de la République fédérale d’Allemagne, https://www.bundestag.de/blob/189762/f0568757877611b2e434 039d29a1a822/loi_fondamentale-data.pdf, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de la République française, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/france/co1958.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de la République Tchèque, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/cz1992.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de la Serbie, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/rs2006.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution de Monaco, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/mon1962.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitution fédérale de la Confédération suisse, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/ch2000.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Constitutions du Monde, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/constitintro.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
Loi fondamentale de l'État de la Cité du Vatican, http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/va2001.htm, consulté le 1 septembre 2016.
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