Federal parliament of Belgium

“ No exemption or reduction of taxes can be established except by a law. Art. 173 Except for the provinces, polders and drainage systems, and those cases formally excepted by the laws, the decrees and rules described in Article 134, taxes may be imposed upon citizens only for the benefit of the State, the community, the region, the urban entity, the federation of communes or the commune. Art. 174 Each year, the Chamber of Representatives rules on the approval of State accounts and votes on the budget. ”

“ Art. 72 The King’s children or, in the absence of children, the Belgian descendants of the branch of the royal family called on to reign, are senators by right at the age of eighteen. They are only entitled to a seat and vote at the age of twenty-one. They are not taken into account for the determination of the quorum of attendance. Art. 73 Any assembly of the Senate that takes place outside the time of the session of the Chamber of Representatives, is automatically void. ”

“ Education is free; any preventative measure is forbidden; the repression of offences is only governed by law or decree. The community offers free choice to parents. The community organizes neutral education. ”

“ The Council of ministers and the Governments of the communities and regions include persons of different gender. The law, the decree or the rules referred to in Article 134 organise the presence of persons of different gender in the permanent deputations of the provincial councils, the college of mayor and aldermen, the social welfare council, the permanent bureaus of the public centres for social welfare and the executive of any other interprovincial, intercommunal or intracommunal territorial organ. ”

“ Art. 20 No one can be obliged to contribute in any way whatsoever to the acts and ceremonies of a religion, nor to observe the days of rest. Art. 21 The State does not have the right to intervene either in the nomination or in the installation of ministers of any religion whatsoever, nor to forbid these ministers from corresponding with their superiors, from publishing their acts, except, in the latter case, taking into consideration normal responsibilities in matters of press and publication. ”

“ Except in the case of a flagrant offence, restraining measures requiring the intervention of a judge cannot be instituted against a member of any Chamber for the duration of a session, regarding repressive matters, except by the first President of the Court of Appeal at the demand of the competent judge. ”

“ Art. 11bis The law, the decree or the rules referred to in Article 134 guarantee to women and men equal exercise of their rights and freedoms, and further notably their equal access to elected and public mandates. ”

“ Art. 16 No one can be deprived of his property except in the case of expropriation for a public purpose, in the cases and manner established by law, and in return for a fair indemnity paid beforehand. Art. 17 Punishment by confiscation of assets cannot be made. Art. 18 Civil death is abolished; it cannot be brought back into force. ”

“ Art. 193 The Belgian Nation adopts red, yellow, and black colours, while the coat of arms depicts the Lion of Belgium with the motto: UNITY MAKES STRENGTH. Art. 194 The city of Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the headquarters of the Federal Government. Title VIII On the revision of the Constitution Art. 195 The federal legislative power has the right to declare a warranted constitutional revision of those matters which it determines. Following such a declaration, the two Chambers are dissolved by full right. ”

“ Art. 28 Everyone has the right to address petitions signed by one or more persons to the public authorities. Constituted bodies are alone able to address petitions in a collective name. Art. 29 The confidentiality of letters is inviolable. The law determines which nominated representatives can violate the confidentiality of letters entrusted to the postal service. Art. 30 The use of languages current in Belgium is optional ”

“ Within the national borders, the members of the Senate shall have the right to move without expense over any and all means of transportation which are operated by or conceded to government authorities. ”

“ The schools organized by the public authorities offer, until the end of obligatory scholarity, the choice between the teaching of one of the recognized religions and non-denominational moral teaching. ”

“ The law and decree take into account objective differences, notably the characteristics of each organizing authority, that justify appropriate treatment. § 5. The organization, the recognition and the subsidizing of education by the community are regulated by law or decree. Art. 25 The press is free; censorship can never be established; security from authors, publishers or printers cannot be demanded. When the author is known and resident in Belgium, neither the publisher, nor the printer, nor the distributor can be prosecuted. Art. ”

“ They retire at an age determined by law and benefit from the pension foreseen by law. No judge can be deprived of his post nor suspended except by court decision. The transfer of a judge can only take place with his consent and after a replacement has been appointed. ”

“ He appoints individuals to general administrative functions and to foreign affairs, but for those exceptions established by law. He appoints individuals to other functions only by virtue of specific provisions of a law. ”

“ Except in the case of flagrante delicto, no one can be arrested except by a justifiable judge’s order, that must be served at the moment of arrest, or at the latest within twenty-four hours. Art. 13 No one can be separated, unwillingly, from the judge that the law has assigned to him. Art. ”