History of Constitution in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: August 7, 2025

A constitution serves as the foundational legal document for any organized entity, whether it be a country, company, or organization. It's a collection of fundamental principles and established precedents that define how the entity will be governed. The constitution essentially lays out the rules of the game, dictating the powers and responsibilities of different parts of the entity and the rights of its members.

1900: Sachsenspiegel Law in Germany

As late as 1900, the Sachsenspiegel, composed by Eike von Repgow between 1220 and 1230, was used as the supreme law in parts of Germany.

1931: Ethiopia's Modern-Style Constitution

In 1931, Emperor Haile Selassie I granted a modern-style Constitution to Ethiopia, replacing the Fetha Negest as the supreme law.

1938: Romania's Constitution

Romania's 1938 constitution, which installed a royal dictatorship, holds the record for the shortest overall process of drafting, adoption, and ratification of a national constitution, taking less than a month.

1946: Japan's Constitution Drafting

In 1946, during the drafting of Japan's Constitution, bureaucrats drafted everything in no more than a week.

1949: Swiss Federal Constitution Revision

In 1949, there was an official revision of the Swiss Federal Constitution.

1950: Basic Laws of Israel

Since 1950, the Basic Laws of Israel have been intended to be the basis for a constitution, but as of 2017 it had not been drafted.

1971: Swiss Federal Constitution Revision

In 1971, there was an official revision of the Swiss Federal Constitution.

1982: Canada Act and Constitution Act

In 1982, the Canada Act formally severed the British Parliament's ability to amend the Canadian constitution, and the Canadian constitution includes specific legislative acts as mentioned in section 52(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982.

1982: Swiss Federal Constitution Revision

In 1982, there was an official revision of the Swiss Federal Constitution.

1982: Patriation of the BNA Act

Over a century after its enactment, the British North America Act was patriated to the Canadian Parliament in 1982 and augmented with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.