Belgium
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
- CONSTITUTION
- February 7, 1831; revised on July 14, 1993 to create a federal state; amended several times, last in 2019
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- civil law system based on the French civil code; recognizes ICJ jurisdiction as compulsory with reservations
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- bicameral Parliament, Senate (Senaat in Dutch, Senat in French) and Chamber of Representatives (Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants in French)
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- Constitutional Court or Grondwettelijk Hof (in Dutch) and Cour Constitutionelle (in French) (composed of 12 judges - 6 Dutch-speaking and 6 French-speaking); Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) and Cour de Cassation (in French) (court organized into 3 chambers: civil and commercial; criminal; social, tax, and military; each chamber includes a Dutch division and a French division, each with a president and 5-6 judges); Courts of Appeal; regional courts; specialized courts for administrative, commercial, labor, immigration, and audit matters; magistrate courts; justices of the peace
RELIGIONS
Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 2.3%, other Christian 2.8%, Muslim 6.8%, other 1.7%, atheist 9.1%, non-believer/agnostic 20.2% (estimate 2018)
From the country
- NOVEMBER 14, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller criticized...
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller criticized the [EU] demands for Turkey to abolish capital punishment for everybody, without any exceptions, including terrorists, in a period when it is accepted that all terrorists, including Usamah Bin-Ladin, sh
- NOVEMBER 13, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
The European Union welcomed Turkish steps towards expanding...
The European Union welcomed Turkish steps towards expanding civil liberties, but said in its progress report on candidates that the reforms far from guarantee freedoms required for membership in the bloc
- NOVEMBER 13, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said that Turkey...
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said that Turkey needs to take action as soon as possible to remedy shortcomings pointed out in the recent EU report on Turkey's progress towards membership
- NOVEMBER 9, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
At its plenary session in Brussels last week, the Joint...
At its plenary session in Brussels last week, the Joint Parliamentary Assembly urged the Cuban authorities to provide a strong signal of the liberalisation by releasing political prisoners and abolishing the death sentence
- NOVEMBER 8, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
At the UN Third Committee hearing for calls for priority...
At the UN Third Committee hearing for calls for priority attention to incorporating human rights treaty provisions into domestic law, the European Union welcomed the recent signatures and ratifications of the Second Optional Protocol to the International
- NOVEMBER 8, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
A Eurobarometer survey of 10,000 young Europeans between...
A Eurobarometer survey of 10,000 young Europeans between the ages of 15 and 24 found that the number of respondents believing their generation to be in favour of the death penalty has fallen drastically since 1997, from 36% to 27%
- NOVEMBER 6, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Civil rights campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW)...
Civil rights campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed concern over recent EU moves to crack down on terrorism
- OCTOBER 26, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
China will let an investigator from the United Nations...
China will let an investigator from the United Nations look into allegations of torture carried out by police and prison officials, the head of a European Union human rights delegation said
- OCTOBER 26, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
The European Parliament called on Turkey to ban the...
The European Parliament called on Turkey to ban the death penalty as part of constitutional reforms aimed at bolstering its campaign to join the EU
- OCTOBER 25, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
During a press briefing by the EU Commission, spokesman...
During a press briefing by the EU Commission, spokesman Leonello Gabrici said there would be no question of extraditing to third countries persons who could face the death penalty
- OCTOBER 25, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
European Union countries will not extradite suspects...
European Union countries will not extradite suspects to the US if they could face the death penalty, despite heavy pressure from Washington, EU officials pledged
- OCTOBER 24, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Under an EU Charter of Fundamental Rights adopted in...
Under an EU Charter of Fundamental Rights adopted in 2000, "no one may be removed, expelled or extradited to a state where there is a serious risk that he or she would be subjected to the death penalty, torture or other inhuman or degrading treatment or p