The Constitution of Seychelles, in plain language

The Third Republic

Seychelles is on its third constitution. The first came with independence in 1976, the second with the one-party state in 1979, and the current one, the Constitution of the Third Republic, was approved by the people in a referendum on 18 June 1993 and ended one-party rule. It has been amended several times since. It calls itself the supreme law of Seychelles, meaning any law or act that conflicts with it is invalid.

Three branches, kept apart

The heart of the constitution is the separation of powers into three branches that check one another.

• The Executive. A President who is both head of state and head of government, elected directly by the people and limited to three terms of five years. The President appoints the Vice-President and the cabinet of ministers, who run the departments of state.
• The Legislature. A single chamber, the National Assembly, elected by the people. It makes the laws and holds the government to account. Some members are elected for districts and others allotted in proportion to party votes.
• The Judiciary. Independent courts that interpret and apply the law, headed by the Chief Justice, running from the Magistrates' Court up through the Supreme Court to the Court of Appeal, with a Constitutional Court for questions about the constitution itself. Judges are appointed on the recommendation of an independent Constitutional Appointments Authority, not by the President alone.

The Charter of Rights

Chapter III carries the Seychellois Charter of Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms, the country's bill of rights. It protects life, liberty, a fair trial, privacy, conscience, expression, assembly and property, among others, and it sets out fundamental duties too. If a person believes a right has been or is about to be breached, they may go to the Constitutional Court for redress. The Charter defines the goal as a democratic society, a plural society with tolerance, respect for rights and the rule of law, and a balance of power among the three branches.

Citizenship, in the constitution

Who is a citizen is not left to ordinary law alone. Chapter II of the constitution sets the rules of citizenship, including the descent rule that makes the child of a Seychellois abroad a citizen from birth. We explain what that means in practice in the Papers Office.

How it changes

The constitution can be amended, but not casually. Changes must pass the National Assembly, and the most sensitive provisions carry heavier requirements. The most debated amendments over the years have concerned presidential terms and the balance between the branches, which is exactly the argument a healthy constitution is meant to host in the open.

Read it yourself

The full text, chapter by chapter and kept up to date with amendments, is on SeyLII, and the National Assembly publishes the Constitution of the Third Republic on its own site. This page is a plain-language guide to it, not a substitute for the text.