Artikel 138: Amendment of unchanged provisions

Artikel 138
  1. Before Bills to amend the Constitution which have been given a second reading have been ratified by the King, provisions may be introduced by Act of Parliament whereby:
    1. the proposals adopted and the unamended provisions of the Constitution are adjusted to each other as required;
    2. the division into chapters, sections and articles and the headings and numbering thereof are modified.
  2. A Bill containing provisions as referred to under paragraph 1(a) shall be passed by the two Houses only if at least two-thirds of the votes cast are in favour.

In andere talen:

English

  1. Before Bills to amend the Constitution which have been given a second reading have been ratified by the King, provisions may be introduced by Act of Parliament whereby:
    1. the proposals adopted and the unamended provisions of the Constitution are adjusted to each other as required;
    2. the division into chapters, sections and articles and the headings and numbering thereof are modified.
  2. A Bill containing provisions as referred to under paragraph 1(a) shall be passed by the two Houses only if at least two-thirds of the votes cast are in favour.

Français

  1. Avant que les projets portant modification de la Constitution adoptés en seconde lecture soient sanctionnés par le Roi, la loi peut :

a) harmoniser pour autant que nécessaire les projets adoptés et les dispositions restées inchangées de la Constitution ;

b) modifier la division en chapitres, sections et articles, ainsi que leur ordonnance et les titres.

  1. Les Chambres ne peuvent adopter un projet de loi portant des dispositions comme visées au paragraphe 1, sous a qu'aux deux tiers au moins des voix exprimées.

Deutsch

  1. Bevor die in zweiter Lesung angenommenen Vorlagen zur Änderung der Verfassung vom König bestätigt werden, können durch Gesetz:

    a) die angenommenen Vorlagen und die unveränderten Verfassungsbestimmungen soweit wie nötig aufeinander abgestimmt werden;

    b) die Einteilung in Kapitel, Paragraphen und Artikel, deren Anordnung sowie die Überschriften geändert werden.

  2. Eine Gesetzesvorlage, die Bestimmungen im Sinne von Absatz 1 Buchstabe a enthält, können die Kammern nur mit einer Mehrheit von mindestens zwei Dritteln der abgegebenen Stimmen annehmen.

Español

  1. Antes de que los proyectos de reforma constitucional aprobados en segunda lectura sean sancionados por el Rey, se podrá mediante ley: a. armonizarse en la medida que sea necesario los proyectos aprobados y las disposiciones inalteradas de la Constitución;
  2. modificar la división y el lugar de los capítulos, apartados y artículos, así como los títulos;
  3. Para la adopción de un proyecto de ley que contenga disposiciones del tipo descrito en el apartado primero bajo la letra a se requerirá una mayoría de al menos dos tercios de los votos emitidos.

Explanation

Please note: Only the Dutch-language version of the Constitution has legal effect. 

If a constitutional revision consists of a series of different legislative proposals, the rejection of one or more proposals may result in the amended and unchanged provisions of the Constitution no longer aligning properly.

Before the amendments have been ratified by the King, the amended and unchanged articles can be aligned in a law. The structure of the Constitution can also be changed by law. For such laws, at least two-thirds of the votes cast in both chambers are required. This may only concern necessary amendments of a technical nature.

During the constitutional revision of 1983, four such amending laws were enacted.