CONSTITUTION

of the

KINGDOM OF SWEDEN

June 6, 1809, as amended

WE, CARL, by the Grace of God King of Sweden, the Goths, and the Wends, &c., &c., &c., Heir to Norway, Duke of Sleswig-Holstein, Stormarn and Ditmarsen, Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst, &c., &c., &c., hereby make known that we, having with unlimited confidence unconditionally entrusted to the estates of the country the drawing up of a new constitution, to form in perpetuity the basis of the happiness and independence of a common fatherland, do carry out a duty dear to our heart and aspired after when we by these presents publicly promulgate the fundamental law which has, after the most careful consideration, been unanimously enacted and accepted by the estates now assembled and delivered to us in the hall of state this day, in conjunction with their voluntary and unanimous offer of Sweden=s crown and government. As we, with deepest emotion and loving participation in the fortunes of the people who have given us such an unforgettable proof of confidence and affection, have acceded to this their desire, we have attached a much more certain hope for the success of our unremitting endeavors to serve the welfare of the fatherland, inasmuch as our and our subjects= mutual rights and obligations are so clearly laid down in the new Constitution that they incorporate the Swedish nation=s liberty as by law established while maintaining the sanctity of the crown and its capacity of action. We are, consequently, pleased to adopt, accept and conform this constitution approved by the estates of the kingdom, exactly as it following textually: -

Art. 4 The King alone shall govern the kingdom in accordance with the provisions of this instrument of government; he shall, however, in the cases hereafter specified, seek the information and advice of a council of state, to which the King shall summon and appoint capable, experienced, honorable, and generally respected native Swedish subjects who profess the pure evangelical faith. Persons related by direct ascending or descending kinship, brothers and/or sisters, and spouses, may not be members of the council of state at the same time.

Art. 5 For the various branches of administration of the kingdom, there shall be departments of state in the number determined by law enacted by the King and the Riksdag jointly.

Art. 6 The council of state shall be composed of heads of department, together with not less than three councilors without portfolio, as determined by law enacted by the King and the Riksdag jointly. Of the councilors without portfolio at least two must have held civil office.

Art. 7 All the business of the government, except that mentioned in Article 15, shall be submitted to the King in council of state and be decided there.

Art. 8 The King may not give a decision upon a matter upon which the council of state must be consulted, unless at least three councilors of state are present in addition to the one submitting the matter. Unless they have a legitimate excuse, all members of the council shall be present for the consideration of all measures of special weight and importance, which, according to the agenda previously circulated, are brought before the council and affect the general administration of the kingdom. Such measures are: questions regarding the adoption of new general laws, the repeal or amendment of those hitherto in force, new general arrangements within the various branches of administration, and other questions of a similar character.

Art. 9 Minutes shall be kept of all measures which are submitted to the King in Council. When the safety of the kingdom is concerned, or particularly important reasons demand secrecy concerning the relations of the kingdom with foreign powers, separate minutes on the matter shall be kept.

Art. 10 Before matters are submitted to the King in council, they shall be investigated by the member submitting them, who shall collect for this purpose the necessary information from the competent administrative offices.

Art. 11 In matters which concern the relations of the State with foreign powers. All communications to foreign powers or to the King=s envoys abroad shall, without regard to the nature of the business, be made through the minister for foreign affairs.

Art. 12 The King shall have power to enter into agreements with foreign powers after the council of state has been heard upon the subject. When such agreements deal with matter which are required under this instrument of government to be decided by the Riksdag, either alone or with the King, or when, though not dealing with such matters, they are of major importance, they shall be laid before the Riksdag for approval; and such agreements shall contain a reservation making their validity dependent upon the Rikdag=s sanction.

Should there be an occasion when the interests of the State require that agreements, which are of great importance but do not deal with matters required to be decided by the Riksdag, should be concluded without the confirmation of the Riksdag, this may be done, but in such circumstances the committee on foreign affairs or the advisory committee shall be given an opportunity to express its opinion before the agreement is concluded.

Art. 13 If the King wishes to declare war or to conclude peace, he shall convene all the members of the council of state in extraordinary council, lay before them the causes and circumstances to be considered, and ask for their opinions concerning the matter; each of them shall separately enter his opinion in minutes, under the responsibility laid down in Article 107. The King may then make and execute such decision as he considers in the best interests of the kingdom.

Art. 14 The King shall be commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the kingdom.

Art. 15 Matters of military command, that is to say, those in which the King acts directly in his capacity of commander-in-chief of the armed forces, shall be decided by the King, provided he is himself exercising the royal power, in the presence of the head of the department under whose authority the matter falls. The latter is bound, under his responsibility, to express his opinion upon the measures adopted by the King at the time when such measures are under consideration; when his opinion

is not in conformity with the King=s decision, he shall enter his objections and advice in a minute which the King shall authenticate with his royal signature.

The matters of government which are to be considered matters of military command shall be determined by a law enacted by the King and the Riksdag jointly.

Art. 16 The King shall maintain and further justice and truth, prevent and forbid iniquity and injustice; he shall not deprive anyone or allow anyone to be deprived of life, honor, personal liberty or well-being, without legal trial and sentence; he shall not deprive anyone or permit anyone to be deprived of any real or personal property without due trial and judgment in accordance with the provisions of the Swedish law and statutes; he shall not disturb or allow to be disturbed the peace of any person in his home; he shall not banish any person from one place to another; he shall not constrain or allow to be constrained the conscience of any person, but shall protect everyone in the free exercise of his religion, provided he does not thereby disturb public order or occasion general offense. The King shall cause everyone to be tried by the court to the jurisdiction of which he is properly subject.

Art. 17 The judicial power of the King shall be vested in at least twelve experienced and honest persons, learned in the law, who shall be appointed by him; they must have fulfilled the conditions required by law for the exercise of judicial functions. They shall be called Alords justices@ and shall constitute the Supreme Court of Justice. Their number may not exceed twelve unless the King and the Riksdag decree, in accordance with Article 87, paragraph (1), that the Supreme Court shall work in divisions in this case the number of lords justices, within the limits defined above, and the distribution of business between the divisions shall be regulated in the same ordinance. Further provisions as to the composition and services of the Supreme Court shall be prescribed by law, enacted by the King and the Riksdag jointly, in the order provided by Article 87, paragraph (1).

Art. 18 The King=s right to examine and decide appeals which, according to the laws, may be brought before him in the departments of state shall, to the extent prescribed by a separate law enacted by the King and Riksdag jointly, as provided in Article 87, paragraph (1), be delegated to at least seven persons appointed by the King, who shall have held civil office and manifested insight, experience, and honesty. They shall be called Alords justices of administration@ and constitute the Supreme Administrative Court. At least two-thirds of the total number of justices shall have fulfilled the conditions required by law for the exercise of judicial functions. Further provisions as to the composition and services of the Supreme Administrative Court shall be prescribed by the law mentioned above.

Art. 19 It also appertains to the Supreme Administrative Court, in matters which may be submitted to its final examination, to receive and decide all petitions asking that the King may set aside judgments that have acquired legal force or that he may grant relief from forfeiture resulting from the expiration of a legal term. All other petitions of the king shall be decided by the Supreme Court.

Art. 20 Should requests be made to the King by courts or officials regarding the proper interpretation of the law in cases appertaining to the judiciary, the Supreme Court shall furnish such interpretation in cases within the sphere of the courts.

Art. 21 Three members of the Supreme Court and one of the legal members of the Supreme Administrative Court shall together constitute the King=s law council. It appertains to the law council to give its opinion on proposals for the enactment, annulment, amendment or elucidation of the laws or statutes which shall, for this purpose, be referred to them by the King.

Where it should prove necessary for certain business, the King may appoint one additional person known to possess insight, experience, and honesty, to be a member of the law council.

Further provisions as to the duties of the law council shall be prescribed by a law enacted by the King and Riksdag, as provided by Article 87, paragraph (1).

Art. 22 (1) Cases may be heard and decided in the Supreme Court by five lords justices. No more than seven members shall, at the same time, take part in the trial of any case, except in certain cases otherwise provide for in accordance with Article 87, paragraph (1). It shall similarly be determined how many lords justices shall take part in deciding the question whether cases appealed to the Supreme Court may be considered by it, whether such special permission is required by law, or in consideration of petitions appertaining to the Court according to Article 26.

(2) In the supreme administrative court, five members may hear and decide cases, and four members may do so when three are in agreement.

Art. 23 All decisions of the Supreme Court and of the supreme administrative court shall be promulgated in the name of the King and under his signature or seal.

Art. 24 The secretariat of the Supreme Court shall prepare judicial business for trail and decision by the Court.

Art. 25 Matters for the consideration and decision of the supreme administrative court shall be prepared by the department to which the business in question, as allotted under Article 5, belongs.

Art. 26 The King shall have power to grant pardons in criminal cases, to commute death penalties, to restore honors, and to return property forfeited to the crown. The Supreme Administrative Court shall, however, be consulted in such cases as, by their nature, come before it or before the court of exchequer for final consideration, but in other cases the Supreme Court shall be consulted; and the King=s decision shall be taken in council of state. The offender shall then have the right to accept the pardon granted by the King or to suffer the punishment to which he has been sentenced.

Art. 27 The King shall appoint as attorney-general an able, impartial person, versed in the law, who has had experience as a judge. It shall be the principal duty of the attorney-general, as the highest legal officer of the King, to prosecute or cause prosecution to be made, in the name of the King, in cases which affect the public safety or the rights of the crown; and also, on behalf of the King, to exercise supervision over the administration of justice, and in this capacity to prosecute for offenses committed by judges and officials.

Art. 28 The King in council of state shall have power to appoint and promote native Swedes to all offices and posts, high and low, for which the King=s commissions are granted; the proper authority shall, however, first submit nominations when such a practice has theretofore been customary. The King may likewise, after having consulted the proper authorities or upon their nomination, appoint and promote foreigners of distinguished merit, professing the pure evangelical faith, to professorships in the universities, excepting, however, to the theological teaching staffs to professorships or other positions in other institutions for science, manual training, or fine arts, as well as to medical appointments. The King may likewise employ foreigners of unusual ability in the military service, but not as commanders of fortresses. Foreigners may also be appointed as consuls, when there is no remuneration attached to the appointment.

Only persons professing the pure evangelical faith may be appointed to the priestly office or to other offices involving the obligation to give instruction in the Christian religion or in theology. To all other offices and positions, excepting membership of the council of state as provided by Article 4, persons belonging to another Christian faith or adherents of the Mosaic belief may be appointed; no person not belonging to the pure evangelical faith shall, however, take part, as judge or incumbent of any other office, in the discussion or decision of questions relating to divine worship, to religious instruction, or to appointments within the Swedish Church. No woman may be appointed to the priestly office unless otherwise provided in accordance with Article 87, paragraph (2).

Art. 29 The King shall appoint the archbishop and bishops from a list of three candidates presented to him in the manner provided by the church law.

Art. 30 The institution of clergymen to congregations, and the rights which appertain to the King and to the congregations in this connection, shall be governed by a special law enacted in accordance with Article 87, paragraph (2).

Art. 31 For the office of burgomaster or legally trained associate justice in a city, the city council shall have the right to present three competent persons. From those presented, the King shall appoint one to the office.

Detailed provisions governing the election of candidates to be proposed for the above-mentioned offices shall be prescribed by a special law enacted by the King and the Riksdag jointly.

Art. 32 Before such offices, for which candidates have been proposed, are filled by the King, the members of the council of state shall express their views as to the competence and merits of the applicants. They shall also have the right to make dutiful representations against the King=s appointments to other offices and positions.

Art. 33 The King shall have power to confer Swedish nationality on foreign men and women by means of naturalization, in the manner and upon the conditions determined by a special law enacted in accordance with Article 87, paragraph (1). A foreigner thus naturalized shall enjoy the same rights and privileges as a native-born Swedish citizen, except that he may not be appointed to membership of the council of state.

Art. 34 The prime minister and the minister for foreign affairs shall have the highest rank in the kingdom, and members of the council of state shall rank next. Members of the council of state may not perform the duties of or receive income from any other office. A lord justice of the Supreme Court or of the Supreme Administrative Court may no hold any other office or perform other duties.

Art. 35 The following hold posts of confidence, from which the King may remove them whenever he considers that the interests of the kingdom demand that course; members of the council of state, presidents and heads of administrative boards or of institutions established in their place, the attorney-general, the directors of the prisons, the land surveying service, the state railways, the pilotage, postal, telegraph, customs, and forestry services; the under-secretaries in the government department; the governor, deputy governor, and chief of police of the capital; governors of counties, field-marshals, generals, and admirals of all grades, adjutants-general, adjutants-in-chief, and adjutants of the staff, commanders of fortresses, colonels of regiments, lieutenant-colonels of both cavalry and infantry regiments of guards and of the household guards as well as the chiefs of artillery, fortifications, and of the topographical and hydrographic survey; ministers, envoys, and commercial agents in foreign countries, as well as officials and employees in the King=s foreign office and in the missions abroad. The King shall, however, notify such action to the council of state, whose members have the obligation to make dutiful representations against the measures if they think they have reason to do so.

Art. 36 Persons occupying judicial positions, both higher and lower, and all officials or employees other than those mentioned in the preceding article, may not be removed from their posts by the King, except after enquiry and sentence, nor shall they be promoted or transferred to other posts except upon their own application.

Art. 37 The King shall have power to ennoble persons who by fidelity, courage, virtue, learning, and useful services have deserved particularly well of the King and the country. The King may also, as a reward for important and distinguished services, confer upon a noble the rank of baron, or upon a baron the rank of count. The noble rank and the dignities of baron and count hereafter granted shall be borne only by the person ennobled or elevated in rank, and, after his death, in direct line of descent, by the eldest male heir of the oldest branch of his family and, after its extinction, by the nearest male heir of the ancestor in the oldest branch in existence, and so forth. If noble rank should pass by inheritance to a person who has already been ennobled or has received a title by previous inheritance, his own rank shall lapse, unless it is of a higher grade, in which case the ancestor=s rank shall go to the nearest branch of the family; if no such branch is in existence, the title shall become extinct. If anyone should forfeit his noble rank, the title shall go to the person most nearly entitled thereto, in accordance with the rules herein established.

An ordinance regarding the nobility, to be adopted by the King in concert with the knights and nobles, shall prescribe the manner in which knights and nobles may assemble to decide upon matters which they have in common.

Art. 38 The King=s messages and proposals to the Riksdag or to the church assembly, public laws, the King=s commissions for public offices and other documents and orders issued by the King and specified by him shall, in order to be valid, be signed by the King and bear the counter-signature of the competent minister, whose duty it shall be to see that the action taken is in agreement with the minutes drawn up concerning it. Other decisions by the King shall be issued over the signature of the competent minister, who also may issue to proper parties all directions and instructions regarding the execution of orders given. Should the minister find any decision of the King to be in conflict with this instrument of government, he shall make a representation in the council of state concerning it; should the King notwithstanding insist upon promulgating the order, it shall be the minister=s right and duty to refuse his counter-signature or signature thereto and, as a consequence, to resign his office, which he shall not resume until the Riksdag has examined and approved his conduct. In the meantime his salary and other emoluments shall continue.

Art. 39 If the King desires to travel abroad, he shall so inform a full meeting of the council of state and ask its opinion, as provided by Article 9. Should the King then decide to make such a journey and carry his decision into execution, he shall not take part in the administration of the country or exercise the royal power so long as he is outside the kingdom, but during his absence the government shall be carried on in the King=s name by the heir apparent to the throne, if he has attained the age fixed by Article 41. This prince shall govern as regent with all the royal power and authority, in accordance with this instrument of government; he shall not, however, confer any rank or title of nobility, raise persons to the rank of count or baron, or confer the dignity of knighthood; and likewise all vacant posts of trust shall only be held until further notice by persons appointed by the regent.

If the prince who is heir apparent to the throne is not of age or if prevented by sickness or absence abroad from assuming the government, then under such conditions the prince who is next entitled in the succession, and for whom no similar obstacle exists, shall govern as regent in the King=s name, under the above-mentioned conditions.

If there is no prince entitled to govern under these conditions, the council of state shall conduct the government with the same powers a a regent.

Article 91 provides for the measures to be taken in case the King remains out of the kingdom for more than twelve months.

Art. 40 Should the King become too ill to perform his functions, the government of the kingdom shall be carried on as determined in the preceding article.

Art. 41 The King shall attain his majority at the age generally provided by law. Should the King die before the heir apparent has reached this age, the government shall be carried on in conformity with Article 39, until the Riksdag assembles and the regency established by it has assumed the government; the regent or the council of state shall conform strictly to this instrument of government.

Art.42 If unfortunately the entire royal family, in which the succession is vested, becomes extinct in the male line, the council of state shall similarly carry on the government, with the powers determined in Article 39, until the Riksdag is able to assemble and choose a new dynasty and the King-elect assumes the government.

In all cases, when the government of the country in accordance with the present and the three preceding articles is being carried on by the council of state all the members thereof shall be present and vote, unless legitimately prevented.

Art. 43 When the King goes on a military expedition, or visits distant localities of the kingdom, he shall designate at least three members of the council of state, under a president whom he shall specifically appoint, either from among the princes of his house or from among the members of the council of state, to conduct such matters of government as the King may prescribe. Matters in which the King himself acts shall be dealt with in accordance with Article 8.

The above provisions regarding the King shall also apply to the regent when the latter is exercising the royal power.

Art. 44 No prince of the royal house, whether crown prince, hereditary prince, or otherwise, may marry unless the King, having taken the opinion of the council of state, has given his consent thereto. Should he do so nevertheless, he shall forfeit all hereditary rights to the crown for himself, his children, and descendants.

Art. 45 Neither the crown prince of Sweden, the hereditary prince, nor the princes of the royal house shall have any appanage or civil office; there may, however, according to ancient custom, be conferred on them titles of duchies or principalities, without any rights over the territory of which they bear the name.

Art. 46 The country shall continue to be divided into counties under the customary county governments. No governor-general shall hereafter by appointed within the kingdom.

Art. 47 The courts of appeal of the kingdom and all other courts shall decide cases in accordance with the laws and statutes; the administrative boards of the kingdom, the county governments, and all other administrations, together with superior or inferior officials, shall perform their duties and functions in accordance with the instructions, regulations and orders already issued or which may hereafter be issued; they shall obey the King=s orders and commands and assist one another in the execution of such and in the performance of everything which the service of the kingdom may require of them, being responsible to the King, in accordance with the law, for any omission, negligence or illegal action.

Art. 48 The King=s court shall be under his own direction; he may make such arrangements as he thinks appropriate. He may, at will, appoint to or dismiss from all posts at his court.

Art. 49 (1) The Riksdag represents the Swedish people. The rights and obligations now vested by laws in force in the estates of the kingdom shall hereafter be vested in the Riksdag. It shall be divided into two chambers, the members of which shall be elected in the manner prescribed by the Riksdag Law specially enacted by the King and Riksdag jointly. The chambers shall have equal competence and authority in all matters; the Riksdag shall, by virtue of this instrument of government assemble in ordinary session on January tenth of each year, or if that day is a holiday, on the following day; the King shall, however, have power to summon an extraordinary session of the Riksdag in the intervals between its regular sessions.

An extraordinary session of the Riksdag shall only consider the matters which occasioned its being summoned or other matters submitted to it by the King, and questions which are inseparably connected with such matters.

(2) If, having regard to the particular importance of some measure or the nature thereof, it should be deemed necessary that, prior to its enactment, the opinion of the people should be ascertained, the King and Riksdag may, by a law enacted jointly determine that a referendum shall be held. This law shall determine the question or questions to be answered by the referendum, together with the date and manner of holding the same. The right to take part in the voting shall be vested in those who are entitled to vote for the lower chamber of the Riksdag. After the referendum the measure shall be dealt with in accordance with the instrument of government.

Art. 50 The Riksdag shall meet in the capital of the kingdom, except when hostile invasion, pestilence, or other equally grave event makes it impossible or dangerous to the liberty and security of the Riksdag. In such a case it devolves on the King, after conferring with the persons elected by the Riksdag as commissioners of the Riksbank and of the office of the national debt, to appoint and announce another place of meeting.

Art. 51 When the Riksdag is convened by the King, the regent or the council of state, the time for its meeting shall be fixed for not earlier than the first day after the summons is published in the public newspapers and not more than twenty days after said date.

Art. 52 Each chamber of the Riksdag shall appoint its own speaker as well as a first and second deputy speaker, according to the procedure laid down in the Riksdag Law.

Art. 53 When in ordinary session the Riksdag shall appoint the following committees for the preparation of business; a committee on foreign affairs, a committee on the Constitution, a committee on appropriations, a committee on ways and means, a bank committee, two committees on laws, and an agricultural committee, the composition and the duties of which shall be determined by the Riksdag Law.

At an extraordinary session of the Riksdag no more committees shall be appointed than are necessary for the preparation of the measures to be considered.

Art. 54 The members of the committee on foreign affairs mentioned in the preceding article shall also be members of an advisory committee to confer with the King concerning the relations of the kingdom with foreign powers. Conference with this advisory committee must take place before all matters of major importance relating to foreign affairs are decided. All relevant documents and information relating to business on the agenda shall be communicated. The decision of the King relative to the subject-matter of a conference with the committee shall be communicated to its members at their next meeting at latest.

At the beginning of each session of the Riksdag, and afterwards as often as circumstances may require, the minister for foreign affairs shall present to the committee a statement of the general state of foreign affairs which may be of importance to the kingdom.

The members of the committee shall observe the utmost caution with regard to communicating to others information concerning what occurs at meetings of the committee. In case the King, or whoever may be dealing with the matter in his absence, deems it necessary that absolute secrecy be observed, the members shall be bound thereto. Each member shall, on the first occasion of his attending a meeting of the committee, give an assurance that they will observe secrecy.

Art. 55 Neither the Riksdag, the chambers, nor any of the Riksdag=s committees may deliberate or decide upon any matter in the presence of the King.

Art. 56 The Riksdag Law shall determine the order of proceeding with reference to propositions of the King and questions raised by members in the chambers.

Art. 57 The ancient right of the Swedish people to tax themselves shall be exercised by the Riksdag alone.

The manner in which separate communities shall tax themselves for their own needs shall be determined by local laws to be enacted by the King and the Riksdag jointly.

Art. 58 At each ordinary session of the Riksdag, the King shall cause to be presented to it a statement of the financial condition of the State in all its branches, both income and expenses, assets and liabilities. Should the country receive any revenue because of treaties with foreign powers, it shall be accounted for in the same manner.

Art. 59 In connection with the statement of the condition and requirements of the administration, the King shall cause to be presented to the Riksdag a proposal relative to the manner of providing by taxation grants for the needs of the State in excess of its ordinary revenues.

Art. 60 The customs and excise taxes, postal charges, stamp taxes, taxes on domestic distillation, and all such other taxes as each Riksdag may vote shall be reckoned as taxation grants. No general tax of whatever name or character may be increased without the consent of the Riksdag, the duties on imported and exported grain alone excepted; nor shall the King lease the revenues of the State, or establish any monopoly for the benefit of himself and the crown or of private individuals and corporations, otherwise than through law, enacted by the King and the Riksdag jointly, in the order provided by Article 87.

Art. 69 When the proposals of the competent committee with reference to the establishment of the budget, the entire amount necessary thereafter by way of appropriation, the expenses and revenues of the office of the public debt, or the principles of its direction and administration come before the Riksdag for deliberation, the provisions of the Riksdag Law respecting the discussion of proposals submitted by the committee shall apply. Should the chambers reach different conclusions which cannot be brought into agreement, each chamber shall vote separately upon the resolutions they have adopted; the view which receives the majority of the votes of the two chambers when counted together shall be considered the decision of the Riksdag.

Art. 70 When the two chambers disagree with regard to regulations for the Riksbank, as to its receipts and expenses, or as to relieving the commissioners of the bank of their responsibility, each chamber shall vote separately as provided in the preceding article.

Art. 71 The same procedure shall also be followed when the chambers do not agree upon the principles of an appropriation or upon the manner of its application or repartition.

Art. 72 The Riksbank shall remain under the guarantee of the Riksdag, and shall be administered by the commissioners appointed for that purpose, in accordance with a law enacted by the King and the Riksdag jointly.

The Riksbank commissioners shall be seven in number, of whom the King shall appoint one for periods of three years and also a deputy; the other six commissioners and three deputies shall be chosen by the Riksdag for the term in the manner prescribed by the Riksdag Law. The regular member appointed by the King shall preside over the commissioners, but shall hold no other position in the administration of the bank. Any commissioner to whom the Riksdag refuses relief from responsibility shall retire from his position. The appointment by the King of a commissioner or deputy may be revoked when the King deems that course advisable .

The commissioners shall elect one of their number to be governor of the Riksbank and, also from or outside their number, a substitute to take the governor=s pace with full power and responsibility in the event of his being precluded from attendance.

The Riksbank alone shall have the right to issue bank notes which may circulate as money in the kingdom. These notes shall be redeemed by the bank, upon demand, in gold at their face value; with the proviso that when, by reason of war, the danger of war, or a severe money crisis it is considered absolutely necessary to suspend such redemption, the King and the Riksdag jointly or, if the Riksdag is not sitting, the King at the initiative of the commissioners of the Riksbank and after consultation with the commissioners of the national debt office, shall permit such suspension for a certain time. Such permission when given by the King between sessions of the Riksdag, if not confirmed by the Riksdag within twenty days from the beginning of its next session, shall after the lapse of the said period cease to have effect.

Art. 73 No fresh taxation, levy of troops, money, or goods shall hereafter be ordered, collected, or demanded without the free will and consent of the Riksdag, in the manner provided above.

Art. 74 From the day when, by decision of the King in council of state after summoning the Riksdag to assemble, the forces of the kingdom or part thereof are placed upon a war footing either for the preservation of the neutrality of the kingdom when, in a war between foreign powers, such neutrality is threatened or violated by any of the belligerents or to ward off an apprehended or actual attack, until the return to a peace footing, the King shall have power, in the forms and manner and under the conditions prescribed by special law to be enacted by the King and the Riksdag jointly, and with the obligation that the State shall indemnify, to make requisitions upon local authorities or private individuals for such necessaries and services as may be available locally and are required to meet such indispensable needs of the army as cannot be otherwise met with sufficient expedition.

Art. 75 The annual table of market rates shall be prepared by persons chosen in the manner specially provided by the Riksdag; such table shall be followed until its modification is sought and obtained in the regular manner.

Art. 76 The King cannot, without the consent of the Riksdag, contract loans art home or aborad or burden the kingdom with fresh debts.

Art. 77 The King may not, without the consent of the Riksdag, alienate from the crown by sale, mortgage, grant, or otherwise royal demesnes and farms with the houses and appurtenances thereof, royal forest, parks and preserves, the royal grazing meadows, and the salmon or other fisheries belonging to the crown, or other crown property. Such property shall be administered in accordance with principles established by the Riksdag; but persons and communities who, according to the law hitherto in force, are now in possession and enjoyment of such crown property may retain their legal rights therein. Cultivated or cultivable land in the royal forests may be sold to private individuals subject to taxes in accordance with the laws now in force or hereafter to be enacted.

Art. 78 No part of the kingdom may be severed therefrom by sale, mortgage, grant or otherwise.

Art. 79 (1) No change shall be made in the arms or flag of the kingdom without the consent of the Riksdag.

(2) Nor shall any change be made in the standard of the money of the kingdom, either by way of increase of decrease, without the consent of the Riksdag, the King=s right to coin money shall, however, remain undisturbed.

Art. 80 The cavalry and infantry and the naval forces shall continue under the system of equipment duty and repartition based on the contracts and military tenure arrangements made with the rural districts and towns; this system shall not be altered in its fundamental principles until the King and the Riksdag jointly agree upon the necessity of some change. No new or increased conscription can be imposed except by common decision of the King and the Riksdag.

Should a special law abolish the military tenure system and establish some other principle for organization of the military and naval forces, no change shall be made in such law except by agreement between the King and the Riksdag.

Art. 81 This instrument of government and the other constitutional laws of the kingdom cannot be altered or replaced except by decision of the King and two ordinary sessions of the Riksdag.

When the Riksdag announces its decision, with reference to a constitutional law, to the King, the latter shall, if the decision includes consent to a proposal made by him, cause such constitutional amendment to be publicly proclaimed before the Riksdag adjourns; and the King=s decision on the subject shall be communicated to the Riksdag by means of an open letter which shall be read in each chamber simultaneously by a member of the council of state appointed by the King for that purpose. If the Riksdag adopts a proposal relating to a constitutional law which emanates from its own midst, the King shall consult the entire council of state on the matter and, if he concurs in the proposal, shall cause that act to be notified by proclamation and open letter in the time and manner above stated. If the King does not give his consent he shall, before the Riksdag adjourns, notify to it in writing his reasons for not approving the Riksdag=s resolution.

Art. 82 Amendments to the constitutional laws adopted by the Riksdag and approved by the King, or proposed by the King and adopted by the Riksdag, in the prescribed manner, shall have force as constitutional laws after the reading in the Riksdag of the open letter mentioned in the preceding article.

Art. 83 No interpretation of the constitutional laws to hold good for the future shall be valid unless adopted in the manner provided for amending such laws.

Art. 84 The constitutional laws shall be applied literally in each particular case.

Art. 85 The following shall be considered laws; the present instrument of government, the Riksdag Law, the Succession Law, and the law relating to the freedom of the press, which shall be adopted by the King and the Riksdag jointly in accordance with the principles laid down in the present instrument of government.

Art. 86 By freedom of the press is understood the right of every Swede to publish his writings without any previous interference on the part of public authorities; that of only being prosecuted afterwards before a regular court on account of the contents of his publication, and that of not being punished unless such contents are in conflict with a law enacted to preserve public peace without restricting public enlightenment. Public documents may be published without restriction, unless otherwise provided by the law on the freedom of the press.

Art. 87 (1) The Riksdag shall have power, in concert with the King, to enact general civil and criminal laws, and criminal laws for the armed forces, and to amend or repeal any such laws previously enacted. Neither the King without the approval of the Riksdag, nor the Riksdag without the consent of the King, shall have power to make new laws or to repeal existing laws. Motions to that effect may originate in the chambers and, after the competent committee has been consulted, a decision shall be given by the Riksdag. If the Riksdag decides, on its own initiative, to adopt a new law or to repeal or amend an existing law, its proposal shall be submitted to the King, who shall consult the council of state and the law council regarding it and, after having reached his decision, shall inform the Riksdag of his consent to its request or of his reasons for refusing the same. Should the King not be able to make or announce his decision before the adjournment of the Riksdag, he shall be at liberty, before the opening of the next session, to approve the measure unaltered and cause it to be published. If this does not take place, the proposal shall be regarded as rejected, and the King shall inform the Riksdag at its next session of the reasons which prevented the adoption of the measure. If the King considers it appropriate to submit a bill to the Riksdag, he shall obtain the opinions of the council of state and the law council regarding the matter, and shall communicate his proposal, together with such opinions, to the Riksdag; the latter shall then proceed with the bill according to the Riksdag Law.

(2) The Riksdag shall likewise have power, in concert with the King, to enact, amend, or repeal ecclesiastical laws, but the consent of a general church assembly shall be necessary. The views of the council of state and the law council regarding such laws shall be obtained, as in paragraph (1), and these, together with the King=s proposal, if such is made, shall be communicated to the Riksdag. If the proposal in question has not been promulgated as a law before the beginning of the session next after that in which the proposal was presented or adopted, it shall lapse, and the King shall inform the Riksdag of the reasons which prevented the acceptance of the proposal.

Art. 88 The interpretation of civil, criminal, and church laws shall be dealt with in the same manner as the enactment of such laws. The interpretations which the King gives through the Supreme Court, during the recess of the Riksdag, in answer to questions regarding the true meaning of the law, may be overruled by the Riksdag at its next session; or, it the interpretation relates to a church law, it may be overruled by the first general church assembly meeting after its publication. The interpretations which have thus been overruled shall no longer be valid and shall not be observed or invoked by the courts.

Art. 89 Motions regarding the amendment, interpretation, or repeal of statutes and decrees relating to the general economy of the kingdom, new statutes of this character, and the principles for general institutions of all kinds, may be introduced in the chambers of the Riksdag. In such matters, however, the Riksdag has no power to make any other resolution or do more than submit its representations and wishes to the King; the latter, after consulting the council of state, shall take such action as he considers appropriate in the interests of the kingdom. If the King wishes to entrust to the Riksdag the solution with himself jointly of any matter relating to the general administration of the country, the procedure shall be the same as that prescribed in Article 87, paragraph (1), regarding motions relating to laws.

Art. 90 Questions relating to the appointment and removal of officials, the decisions, resolutions, and judgments of the executive or judicial authorities, the conduct of private citizens and corporations, or the execution of any law, decree, or regulation, shall in no case or manner be subject to consideration or investigation by the Riksdag, its chambers, or committees, except as literally prescribed by the fundamental laws.

Art. 91 When the King, in the case referred to in Article 39, having set forth on a journey, remains out of the kingdom for more than twelve months, the regent, or the council of state, if the latter is administering the government, shall summon the Riksdag by public newspapers within fifteen days after the expiration of the said period. If the King, duly notified of this action, does not return to the kingdom, the Riksdag shall take such action as it thinks most proper regarding the government of the country.

Art. 92 The same procedure shall be followed if illness of the King is of such a nature that he is unable to perform the duties of his office for more than twelve months.

Art. 93 Should the King die when the successor to the throne is still under age, the regent or the council of state, if charged with the government, shall summon the Riksdag, such summons to be published in the public newspapers within fifteen days from the death of the King. The Riksdag shall have power, without regard to anything in the deceased King=s will regarding the administration of the country, to appoint one, three, or five persons who may exercise the government in the King=s name, in accordance with this instrument of government, until he attains his majority.

Art. 94 Should it unfortunately occur that the royal dynasty in which is vested the right of succession to the throne becomes extinct in the male line, the council of state shall, within the period after the last King=s death which is fixed by the preceding article, summon the Riksdag, which shall choose a new royal house, this instrument of government being maintained.

Art. 95 If, contrary to expectation, the regent or the council of state should fail to summon the Riksdag immediately in the cases mentioned in the four preceding articles, it shall be the absolute duty of the courts of appeal of the kingdom publicly to proclaim such fact, in order that the Riksdag may assemble to observe and protect its own rights and those of the country. In such a case the Riksdag shall assemble on the twentieth day after that on which the regent or the council of state should at the latest have issued the summons.

Art. 96 The Riksdag shall at each ordinary session appoint two persons of known legal ability and conspicuous integrity, the one as procurator for judicial affairs, and the other as prosecutor for military affairs, to supervise the observance of the laws and statutes in the capacity of representatives of the Riksdag, according to instructions issued by the Riksdag. The procurator for military affairs shall supervise matters arising out of cases which by law, enacted as provided in Article 87 paragraph (1), have been described as military cases, together with the officials and staff thereof remunerated from grants for the defense forces, and the procurator for judicial affairs shall supervise other matters appertaining to the civil courts, their officials, and staff and in accordance with the division of duties mentioned above, these procurators shall institute proceedings before the competent courts against those who, in the execution of their official duties, have through partiality, respect of persons, or other cause committed any unlawful act or neglected to perform their official duties properly. The procurators shall be subject in all respects to the same responsibility and obligation as are prescribed for public prosecutors by general laws and the laws of procedure.

Art. 97 The procurators for judicial and military affairs shall be elected by the Riksdag for the time and in the manner provided by the Riksdag Law; a substitute for each of them also being appointed, who shall have the same competence as the procurator and exercise his functions in the cases provided for by his letter of instruction., If the procurator or his substitute no longer enjoys the confidence of the Riksdag, the Riksdag may, on proposal by the committee scrutinizing his conduct in office, discharge him before the end of the time for which he has been elected.

Art. 98 In the event of the procurator for judicial affairs or the procurator for military affairs resigning the trust confided to him or of a procurator=s office, becoming vacant otherwise, the deputy shall immediately take over the office; and election of a new procurator shall be undertaken by the Riksdag if in regular session or, if

not, at the next regular session of the Riksdag. In the event of a deputy resigning the trust confided to him or being installed in the office of procurator, or of his office otherwise becoming vacant, a new election of a deputy shall be undertaken. Should any of these circumstances arise during the recess of the Riksdag the powers of that body with regard to them shall be exercised by those commissioners of the Riksbank and the office of the national debt who are elected by the Riksdag.

Art. 99 The procurator for judicial affairs and the procurator for military affairs may, whenever they consider it necessary in the exercise of their duties, attend the deliberations and conclusions of the Supreme Court, the Supreme Administrative Court, the secretariat of the Supreme Court, the courts of appeal, the administrative boards or the institutions established in their place, and all the lower courts, but shall have no right to express their views thereat they shall also have access to the minutes and records of all courts, administrative boards, and public offices. The King=s officials in general are bound to afford the procurator for judicial affairs and the procurator for military affairs lawful assistance, and all public prosecutors shall aid them in the conduct of cases when requested to do so.

Art. 100 It shall be the duty of the procurator for judicial affairs and the procurator for military affairs each to present to every ordinary session of the Riksdag a report on the administration of justice throughout the kingdom in the spheres defined in Article 96 as the scope of their duties, call attention to defects in the laws and statutes, and make suggestions for their improvement.

Art. 101 Should it happen, contrary to expectation, that either the entire Supreme Court, or one or more of its members, is found to have rendered, by reason of self-interest, iniquity, or negligence, such an unrighteous judgment, in conflict with clear law and evidence of facts duly established, that it causes or might have caused someone loss of life, personal liberty, honor or property; or if the Supreme Administrative Court or one or more of its members, is found to have been guilty of such conduct in the hearing of appeal actions, it shall be the duty of the procurator for judicial affairs, or in military cases as described in Article 96, the procurator for military affairs, as it shall be within the power of the King=s attorney-general to institute proceedings against the offender before the national court hereinafter provided and to call him to responsibility in accordance with the law of the land.

Art. 105 It is incumbent on the committee on the Constitution of an ordinary Riksdag to ask for the minutes kept by the council of state. The special minutes referred to in Article 9 may, however, only be demanded with reference to a particular matter specified by the committee. In such a case the King shall consider whether, in the light of the safety of the kingdom or of other particularly important reasons determined by relations with foreign powers, he finds any obstacle to the delivery of the minutes to the committee. They shall not be refused without the committee for foreign affairs having had an opportunity to express its views on the subject.

Minutes relating to matters of military command may be demanded only with reference to matters already generally known and specified by the committee.

Art. 106 If the committee discovers from these minutes that any member of the council of state, or any person appointed to submit matters to the King for a special occasion, has manifestly acted in violation of the national Constitution or general laws, or has supported such violation or omitted to protest against it, or has occasioned or encouraged it by wilful concealment of any information, or that the councilor of state submitting a matter to the King has failed to refuse his countersignature or signature to a royal decision in the cases contemplated in Article 38 of this instrument of governmental committee on the Constitution shall cause an action to be brought against such person by the procurator for judicial affairs before the court of impeachment, and shall proceed in accordance with the provisions of Articles 101 and 102 regarding the arraignment of the Supreme Administrative Court. When members of the council of state are found guilty in the manner provided above, the court of impeachment shall sentence them in accordance with the general law and with the special stature determining their responsibility to be enacted by the King and the Riksdag.

Art. 107 Should the committee on the Constitution observe that the members of the council of state as a whole or any of them, in their advice upon public measures, have not had due regard to the true welfare of the State, or that any head of a department has failed to perform his duties with impartiality, zeal, ability, and energy, it shall bring the matter to the knowledge of the Riksdag, which, if it thinks the welfare of the country so requires, may inform the King in writing of its desire that he shall remove from the council of state and from office the person or persons whose conduct was thus brought to the committee=s notice.

Motions of this character may be brought in the chambers of the Riksdag and may be presented to the chambers by committees other than the committee on the Constitution, but no decision shall be reached by the Riksdag until the latter committee has been heard on the subject. In the consideration of such matters by the Riksdag, decision of the King with reference to the rights and interests of private individual or corporations my not even be mentioned, much less made the subject of any investigation by the Riksdag.

Everything that the Riksdag, after investigation, has approved or left unnoticed shall be considered as relieved from responsibility as regards the points examined, and no fresh investigation of the same matter shall be undertaken by another Riksdag for the purpose of fixing liability; nevertheless, notwithstanding the general supervision of the expenditure of public funds exercised.

Art. 108 Every fourth year the Riksdag in ordinary session shall, in the manner prescribed by the Riksdag Law, appoint six persons of known intelligence and erudition who, together with the procurator for judicial affairs as president, shall watch over the liberty of the press. Of these commissioners, two in addition to the procurator for judicial affairs shall be learned in the law. The commission on freedom of the press may make no decisions except when three commissioners in addition to the procurator for judicial affairs are present.

Art. 109 The ordinary session of the Riksdag cannot be adjourned, except at its own request, until it has been assembled for four months, unless the King in accordance with the provisions of the Riksdag Law orders a new election of one or both chambers, in which case the Riksdag shall reassemble within three months after dissolution upon the date set by the King, and, preserving its character as an ordinary session, shall not again be adjourned by the King until after four months from the date of its last assembling.

The King may terminate an extraordinary session of the Riksdag whenever he thinks best, and it shall always be terminated before the time fixed for the meeting of the ordinary session.

If, contrary to expectation, the Riksdag has not passed the budget or granted new supplies before the beginning of the new financial year, the former budget and grants shall remain in force until the new budget and grants are passed.

Art. 110 No member of the Riksdag shall be prosecuted or deprived of his liberty on account of his actions or utterances in that capacity unless the chamber to which he belongs has authorized such action by an explicit resolution, adopted by at least a five-sixths= vote. No member of the Riksdag shall be banished from the place where it meets. Should any private individual or body, military or civil, or any group of people of whatever name, either spontaneously or under orders, attempt to do violence to the Riksdag, its chambers or committees, or any one of its members, or to disturb the freedom of its discussions and decisions, such action whenever not punishable as treason shall be considered as rebellion; all provisions regarding attempt, preparation or conspiracy to rebellion and neglect to reveal such crimes being applicable in this case also. It shall appertain to the Riksdag to cause such crimes to be prosecuted in accordance with law.

If a member of the Riksdag, during a session or when proceeding to or from a session, such errand being known, is molested by word or action, the provisions of the general law regarding assaults upon or insults to the King=s servants on duty or on the occasion of their duties shall apply. The same law shall apply to assaults upon or insults to the commissioners, auditors, procurator for judicial affairs, procurator for military affairs, the secretaries or employees of either chamber, or any of their committees, during or on the occasion of the performance of such duties.

Art. 111 If a member of the Riksdag is accused of a serious misdeed he may not, unless he was apprehended in flagrante delicto, be committed to prison until the judge, after investigation, considers such action justifiable; nevertheless, if he does not appear on the summons of the court, the provisions of the general laws relating to such cases shall apply. No member of the Riksdag shall be deprived of his liberty except in the cases mention in this and the preceding article.

In virtue whereof we have to these presents put our names and seals to attest, confirm, and endorse the same, in Stockholm on the sixth day of June, in the year 1809 after our Lord=s birth.