November 12 is marked as Constitution Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan, APA reports.

The Constitution of independent Azerbaijan was adopted by a referendum held on November 12, 1995, and came into force on November 27, 1995.

The Constitution adopted in 1995 is the first Constitution of independent Azerbaijan and, overall, the fourth Constitution in the country’s history. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918–1920) was unable to adopt a state constitution during its short existence.

The history of Azerbaijan’s constitutional framework dates back to the Soviet period. The first Constitution of Azerbaijan was adopted at the First All-Azerbaijan Congress of Soviets on May 19, 1921. A revised version of the Azerbaijan SSR Constitution, harmonized with the 1921 USSR Constitution, was adopted at the Fourth All-Azerbaijan Congress of Soviets on March 14, 1925. The last Constitution of the Azerbaijan SSR, adopted on April 21, 1978, was also aligned with the USSR Constitution.

After Azerbaijan regained its independence, the need arose to draft a new Constitution. For this purpose, under the leadership of President Heydar Aliyev, a special commission was established, and the draft Constitution was submitted for nationwide public discussion. The first Constitution of independent Azerbaijan was adopted by referendum on November 12, 1995.

The first Constitution, forming the foundation of state-building in independent Azerbaijan, consists of 5 sections, 12 chapters, and 158 articles.

Amendments and additions to the Constitution were made through referendums held in August 2002, March 2009, and September 2016.

The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the country’s first body for constitutional judicial review, was established on July 14, 1998.

Although Constitution Day is celebrated as a holiday in Azerbaijan, November 12 is a working day.