Syrian Basic Law of 1920
| Basic Law of the Arab Kingdom of Syria | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Original title | القانون الأساسي للمملكة السورية العربية |
| Jurisdiction | Arab Kingdom of Syria |
| Presented | July 5, 1920 |
| Ratified | July 13, 1920 |
| Date effective | July 13, 1920 |
| System | Constitutional monarchy |
| Government structure | |
| Branches | Three (executive, legislative and judiciary) |
| Head of state | King |
| Chambers | Bicameral (Congress: Senate, Chamber of Deputies) |
| Executive | Prime Minister |
| Judiciary | Supreme Court |
| First legislature | None |
| Repealed | July 25, 1920 |
| Author(s) | Syrian National Congress |
| Full text | |
| Constitution of Syria (1920) at Wikisource | |
| القانون الأساسي للمملكة السورية العربية at Arabic Wikisource | |
The Syrian Basic Law of 1920 was the first constitution of Syria, adopted during the brief existence of the Arab Kingdom of Syria under King Faisal I. Drafted and adopted by the Syrian National Congress, it established Syria as a secular, constitutional monarchy with a representative parliamentary system, separation of powers, and national sovereignty.[1][2][3][4] The constitution remained in force only for a few days before the French occupation of Damascus following the Battle of Maysalun and the imposition of the French Mandate, which annulled the constitutional order.[4] Despite its short lifespan, the 1920 constitution is regarded as a foundational document in the development of modern Syrian constitutional thought.[5]
References
- ^ Thompson, Elizabeth F. (2020). How the West stole democracy from the Arabs: the Syrian Arab Congress of 1920 and the destruction of its historic liberal-Islamic alliance (First Grove Atlantic hardcover ed.). New York: Atlantic Monthly Press. ISBN 978-0-8021-4820-9.
- ^ "Constitutional history of Syria". ConstitutionNet. Retrieved 2025-12-11.
- ^ باروت, محمد جمال (2013). "المؤتمر السوري العام 1919-1920، الدستور السوري الأول: السياق، الطبيعة والوظائف، المراحل والقضايا". تبين (in Arabic). 2 (3): 23–48. doi:10.31430/SGWS5483. ISSN 2305-2465.
- ^ a b "Syria's Journey Toward Democracy - C4SSA". c4ssa.org. 2025-05-13. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
- ^ "تجربة متقدمة.. كيف كتب السوريون دستورهم الأوّل عام 1920؟". تلفزيون سوريا (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2025-01-20. Retrieved 2025-12-11.