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Enclosure 1 in No. 11.
TRANSLATION of the MALDIVIAN COPY OF THE CONSTITUTION PROMUlgated on 22ND DECEMBER, 1932.
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate, we praise and pray for his Generous Prophet and for His Family and Companions with Obedience.
THE CONSTITUtional Law of the Maldives.
RELYING on the help of God, we, Sultan Muhammad Shams-ud-din Iskandar bin Sultan Ibrahim Nooruddeen Iskandar, Sultan of the Maldive Islands, decree :-
That for the purpose of promoting justice, unity, and equality amongst all my subjects and successive rulers of this Kingdom and governing the Islands in co-operation with the people with humanity and security the following Constitutional rules should be observed for the Government of these Islands :
Article 1.
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The Status of the Government of the Maldives.
(a) The Maldives is a completely independent State with regard to her
internal affairs and is governed accordingly.
(b) This Sultanate is a hereditary as well as a constitutional kingdom. (c) It is a government which will have no relations with any foreign
State except that of the august British Government.
(d) This Kingdom is a Protectorate of the British Government and sends an annual tribute to the representative of His Majesty the King in Ceylon, in accordance with the terms of the treaty sent on behalf of Her Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria by Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon, G.C.M.G., Governor of Ceylon, on the 2nd January, 1889, under which the British Government agreed to protect the Maldives against the machinations and enemies of this. Government.
Article 2. (a) The State religion of Maldives shall be Islam.
(b) The official language shall be Maldivian. (c) The Capital of the Kingdom shall be Malé.
THE MALDIVIAN SUBJECTS.
Article 3. The qualifications of Maldivian subjects are :--
(a) That he is born in the Maldives of Maldivian parents. (b) That he is born in a foreign State of a Maldivian father.
(c) Any foreigner domiciled in the Maldives for seven years and who
of his own free will legally naturalized as a Maldivian
(d) Any child born of a Maldivian woman whose husband is a legally
naturalized Maldivian subject.
Article 4. The Rights and Privileges of Maldivian subjects are :—
(a) That they are equal before the law.
(b) That they shall have equal political and civil rights
(c) That they shall have equal status and legal obligations and common
rights.
(d) That they will have preference in the State employment save in
exceptional cases.
Article 5. No person shall constrain, do violence, or imprison another unless expressly provided for by law.
person
Article 6. (a) No punishment should be inflicted on any person without trial and
found guilty by law.
(b) No person should be inhumanly treated.
Article 7. (a) No Maldivian citizen shall be deported to foreign places.
(b) No person shall be exiled to any island without his being found
guilty by law.
(c) No person shall be compelled to be in a certain island or restrained
in any way unless provided for by law.
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Article 8. The Gates are sacred things (holdings). No one shall enter them without proper legal authority (or without permission of its owner).
Article 9. Protection of people's properties is guaranteed and they shall not be appropriated even for public purposes without proper and adequate compensation having been paid to the owner.
Article 10. For no kind of offence whole property of an offender shall be attached. Article 11. Government servants are prohibited from divulging contents of letters, telegrams, telephone messages, &c., passing between private individuals unless as provided for by law.
Article 12. The liberty of speech and free expression of opinion vocally or in writing is granted to all the citizens provided they are not contrary to law.
Article 13. Liberty is granted to import books, newspapers, and printing of same provided such acts are in accordance with law.
Article 14.
All the Maldivian citizens are obliged to learn Koran and to read
and write Arabic and Maldivian letters.
Article 15. Freedom of acquiring knowledge and imparting of same are granted
if they do not come into conflict with law and morality.
Article 16. If they are not contrary to law all the citizens are at liberty carry on their respective avocations in peace and security.
Article 17. Unless they are against law all are at liberty to form into associations or unions for the welfare of the public.
Article 18. The Maldivian Government shall not force any of its subjects to
bear a financial and physical burden beyond his means and capacity.
Article 19. No Maldivian subject should be prevented from going abroad for purposes of Hadj, education, medical treatment, and trade, unless he is incapable financially or is detained on political grounds.
Article 20. Maldivian subjects are prohibited from permanently domiciling here- after in a foreign State.
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Article 21. Any person suffering from injustice at liberty to appeal to the highest authority.
Article 22. Every public servant having served Government for twenty-five years is entitled to get a pension equalling half of his salary.
Rules of the Government,
Article 23. All the powers of legislation are vested in the people and shall be carried out by the following executive authorities :--
(1) H.H. the Sultan.
(2) The Council of Ministers.
(3) The Legislative Council.
(4) The People's Council or People's Assembly.
Article 24. Any Bill infringing the treaty between the Governments of the Maldives and Great Britain should not be passed-or should not be promulgated.
H.H. THE SULTAN.
Qualifications Necessary for a Ruler.
Article 25. (1) He must be a Muslim.
(2) He must be of Sunni sect.
(3) He must not have been implicated in a court of law of a capital
offence by which he had been found guilty.
He must be a male.
(5) He must be 17 years of
age.
(6) He must be of sound mind.
He must be a free man.
(8) He must possess the five senses with perfection.
(9) He must be able to read and write Maldivian.
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PECORD OFFICE
Arference-
11111C.O.882/12
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE |COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-|
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