Compiled by Lkite Temi
A constitution is known as a body of fundamental principles or established precedents by which a state or other organization is governed.
The origin of the constitution as a body of rules can be traced back to San Marino, a small country surrounded by Italy. Otherwise called the Statuta Decreta ac Ordinamenta Illustris Reipublicae ac Perpetuae Libertatis Terrae Sancti Marini, it was an update on the Statuti Comunali (Town Statute) which had been in use from about 1300.
This constitution took effect on the 8th of October, 1600, and comprises of a series of six books collectively known as the Statues of 1600. It is however uncodified, that is, not every element of it is documented as law, and this is why the USA is sometimes cited as having the oldest constitution.
The Statuta Decreta, though authored by Camilla Bonelli, is said to have been influenced by the Corpus Juris Civilis, the body of Roman or civil law which was consolidated in the 6th century by Justinian. It was last amended in 2002, with the addition of the Declaration of Citizen Rights of 1974.
The polity of San Marino still runs based on the 1600 constitution till date, making it stand as the oldest constitution in the world.
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