Constitutional Convention Law and Legal Definition
Constitutional convention is a representative body meeting to form and adopt a new constitution or to form, consider, and adopt amendments to an existing constitution. For instance, the Federal Convention of 1787, meeting in Philadelphia to form and adopt the Constitution of the U.S.
Constitutional convention may be general, unlimited, or limited. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution. An unlimited constitutional convention is called to revise an existing constitution to the extent that it deems to be proper. A limited constitutional convention is restricted to revising only the areas of the current constitution named in the convention's call, the legal mandate establishing the convention.
Legal Definition list
Related Legal Terms
- Alpine Convention
- American Convention on Human Rights
- Antarctic Marine Living Resource Convention Act of 1984
- Athens Passenger Convention
- Atlantic Salmon Convention Act of 1982
- Atlantic Tunas Convention Act
- Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal
- Berne Convention
- Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988
- Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention
