Statute IV of 1947 regarding the abolition of certain titles and ranks (Hungary)
The Statute IV of 1947 regarding the abolition of certain titles and ranks, a law still in force in the Republic of Hungary, declares the abolition of hereditary noble ranks and related styles and titles, also putting a ban on their use.
Contents of the Statute
1. § of the Statute declares annulment of the Hungarian aristocratic and noble ranks, such as duke, marquis, count, baron, noble, primor, and primipilus. It also nullifies all permissions granted in the past to hold such titles bestowed upon a citizen by a foreign head of state.
abolishes the title of "örökös főispán".
abolishes rank titles designated for decoration purposes . This point also revokes any previous bestowals of such titles.
2. § prohibits the future bestowal of titles regulated as positions in the civil service to any person not in civil service. This point does not apply to regular or customary titles in the scientific and artistic life.
Prohibits the future appointment of persons not employed in the municipal civil service to honorary office-holders.
3. § prohibits the use of rank titles mentioned in 1. §. Furthermore, it explicitly forbids the use of the "vitéz" title.
prohibits the use of nobiliary particles, coats of arms, insignias or the use of any expressions referring to descent from a noble clan.
forbids the use of honorifics referring to ranks or titles abolished by this Statute, such as "főméltóságú", "nagyméltóságú", "kegyelmes", "méltóságos", "nagyságos", "tekintetes", "nemzetes" etc.
prohibits the use of honorifics regulated as referring to positions in the civil service, or of those denoting social distinction .
declares that paragraphs 3 and 4 does not apply to titles regular in international communication. These paragraphs also do not apply to the exclusively ecclesiastic, non-secular titles of the clergy.
4. § states that the Statute is in effect as of the day of its enactment. The original version of the Statute names the Minister of Internal Affairs as the minister responsible for the execution of the legislation. The version in force today gives this duty to the minister responsible for matters concerning the vital records.
After 1989
The Statute survived the political change after the fall of the single-party system and the ongoing deregulation processes during and after the 1990s and it is still in force today. Multiple attempts have been made to have the Statute revoked, none of them succeeded. The situation has not changed with and since the entry into force of the new Constitution of Hungary in 2012. In 2009 the Constitutional Court rejected a motion requesting the revocation of 3. § -, the ban of using certain titles. Commenting on the rejection, the Constitutional Court felt it On September 27, 2010 István Tarlós and Zsolt Semjén, among many other politicians, have been initiated into the Vitéz Order, an act the Statute explicitly prohibits. In December 2010 two members of the opposition party JOBBIK presented a motion to revoke parts of the Statute. This motion has later been revoked. In March 2011, during the drafting process of a new constitution, the possibility of revoking all legislation between 1944 and 1990 has been raised.
