Vatican City
2026
STATUSAbolitionist
EXECUTIONS 20260
SENTENCES0
- GOVERNMENT
- elective ecclesiastical monarchy; self-defined as an "absolute monarchy"
- CONSTITUTION
- February 22, 2001 (Fundamental Law of the Vatican City State, main regulatory act of Vatican civil entities); in June 2018, Pope Francis approved the first draft of the Council of Cardinals for the new apostolic constitution, Predicato Evangelium (Preaching the Gospel); it came into effect on June 5, 2022, replacing Pastor Bonus, the previous governing document of the Roman Curia
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- religious legal system based on canon law (religious); it has not submitted to the jurisdiction of the ICJ
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- unicameral, Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- Supreme Court or Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura (composed of the cardinal prefect, who serves as the ex officio president of the tribunal, and 2 other cardinals from the Prefectural Signatura); Court of Appeal of the Vatican City; Tribunal of the Vatican City
RELIGIONS
Roman Catholic
From the country
- JANUARY 26, 1999Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
On January 26, after his arrival in the United States...
On January 26, after his arrival in the United States from Mexico, the Pope had a brief talk with President Bill Clinton, touching upon Iraq and Cuba
- JANUARY 23, 1999Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
On January 23, addressing 10,000 Roman Catholics crammed...
On January 23, addressing 10,000 Roman Catholics crammed into the Basilica of Guadalupe, in Mexico, one of the church's most venerated sites, Pope John Paul II appeared to be wagging his finger both at Mexico and the United States, his two hosts on his 85