“The Norwegian Constitution is a living document. It has remained relevant throughout its 206 year existence because it has been amended and adjusted to a society that is in continuous development,” Tone Wilhelmsen Trøen, President of the Storting, said.

A continuously changing Constitution

The Constitution of 17^th May 1814 has been amended many times since it was adopted by the Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll. In 1814 it contained 110 articles; today there are 121. But there are strict rules that govern how the Norwegian Constitution may be changed.

“In order to guarantee that all constitutional amendments are well-considered, the electorate must be given the opportunity to affect the outcome. This is achieved by ensuring that there is a parliamentary election between the time the draft amendments are put forward and when they are considered,” Trøen continued.

The proposals that were dealt with by the Storting last Thursday had been tabled during one of the first three years of the previous parliamentary term. They were then considered in the Standing Committee of Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs, before being voted on in the Chamber last week.

A three-quarters majority required

A three-quarters majority is necessary to amend the Constitution. Constitutional amendments come into immediate effect, even before they have been formally announced, if necessary, unless the Storting determines otherwise.

The Constitution is the highest source of law in Norway. Any laws or other sources of law that conflict with it must give way.

Constitutional amendments were made to Article 36 (about the central bank of Norway), Article 25 (the use of military force against the population), Article 21 (the appointment of senior civil and military officials) and Article 89 (the courts’ power and duty of review).

Read more about the Norwegian Constitution here.