1931 Yugoslav Constitution


The 1931 Yugoslav Constitution, also known as September Constitution or Octroic constitution, was the second and final Constitution of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It was issued by decree on September 3.

Background

Article 76 of the Constitution bans possession of firearms within by members of Parliament while in session, likely as a response to the fatal shooting by Puniša Račić of several members of the Croatian Peasant Party in 1928. Tumult following the assassination led to the establishment of the 6 January Dictatorship in 1929, under which the previous Vidovdan Constitution was abrogated.

Structure

The Constitution consists of twelve chapters comprising 120 articles.

Parts

Chapter 1: General Provisions
Chapter 2: Elementary Rights and Duties of the Citizen
Chapter 3: Social and Economic Provisions
Chapter 4: The Powers of the State
Chapter 5: The King
Chapter 6:
Chapter 7: Parliament
Chapter 8: The Executive Power
Chapter 9: The Judicial Power
Chapter 10: Finances and Domain of the State
Chapter 11: The Army
Chapter 12: Modifications of the Constitution

Duration

The force of the Constitution ended with the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers, which began on 6 April 1941 and ended with the unconditional surrender of the Royal Yugoslav Army on 17 April, after which Yugoslavia was partitioned and annexed by the invading powers. Peter II fled to England. In 1944 the Prime Minister of his government-in-exile signed the Treaty of Vis, which promised a coalition Royalist-Partisan government after World War II. Irregular elections to a constituent assembly on 11 November 1945 produced a great majority for the Communist Party. The 1946 Yugoslav Constitution it produced abolished the monarchy and superseded the 1931 Constitution.