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Country Background

Hungary is a landlocked country located in Central Europe, northwest of Romania. Its other border countries are Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, and Ukraine. The capital of Hungary is Budapest. The official language is Hungarian. The country’s population in 2016 was approximately 9.9 million. Hungary is a predominantly Christian country, with about 39% of the population Catholic (both Greek and Roman) and 14% Protestant.

Constitution & Legal Structure

Hungary is referred to as a parliamentary republic, in which sovereignty belongs to the people and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Hungary’s legal system is based on the Fundamental Law of Hungary, ratified in 2011 and entered into force on January 1, 2012. According to the Fundamental Law, Hungary is a parliamentary republic. The functioning of the Hungarian State is based on the principle of division of powers. The supreme legislative body is Parliament, the power of the executive branch is vested in the government, and the judiciary is the system of courts. Although Hungary is officially a Christian country, it operates as a secular nation (due in part to its recent history as a communist country as part of the USSR). Freedom of religion is guaranteed in Hungary's Constitution. Hungary is a member state of the European Union.

Constitutional Status of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no constitutional status in Hungary.

Jurisdiction(s) of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no official jurisdiction of operation in Hungary.

Dominant School of Islamic Law

Hungary has no official school of Islamic law. 

Sources of Law for Legal Research

Official Publications

• Legislative
  • Magyar Országgyülés [National Assembly]
  • Industrial Property Legislation (Hungarian Patent Office) 
• Executive
  • Government Portal
  • Prime Minister (appointed by the President; must be approved by the National Assembly and a member of the dominant party in the National Assembly) 
• Judicial
  • Constitutional Court
  • Supreme Court 

Unofficial Databases

• FAOLEX: Hungary (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) database of national laws and regulations on food, agriculture, and renewable natural resources.
• NATLEX: Hungary (International Labour Organization) database of national laws on labor, social security, and related human rights.
• RefWorld Legal Information: Hungary (UNHCR)
• WIPO Lex: Hungary (World Intellectual Property Organization)
• Juricaf: Hongrie decisions in French
• Hungarian Constitutional Court Cases in English (Law Library of Congress)

References:

For an extended list of legal resources for this country, see the Library of Congress’s Research Guide, and for a narrative review, see the GlobaLex Foreign Law Research Guide (most updated version, where available). The Constitution is available in the LOC Guide in its original language and at Constitute in English translation. For full versions of past constitutions, amendments, and related legislation, see HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated or Oxford Constitutions of the World [subscription required for each].