Constitution of the Republic and Canton of Jura, (1977) - State

The Republic of Jura is a democratic and social State founded on fraternity.

It forms a sovereign canton of the Swiss Confederation.

The Constituent Assembly decrees the simultaneous or successive entry into force of the provisions of this Constitution.

1 All pending matters before the administrative and judicial authorities of the canton of Bern are transferred to the competent authorities of the Republic and Canton of Jura once they are established. 2 The Bureau of the Constituent Assembly, and then the Government, may enter into agreements with the canton of Bern to allow certain pending matters to be completed before the Bernese authorities, subject to the consent of the parties involved.

1 The Government determines the date of entry into force of the present amendment. 2 The law may provide for a transitional period for the establishment of the new judicial organization. 3 For the period from the entry into force of the present amendment until 2002, the Parliament elects the judges of the court of first instance and the investigating judges. 4 Until the entry into force of the amendment to the law on judicial organization, the Government may enact the necessary provisions by way of ordinance.

The Government determines the entry into force of the present amendment.

The Government determines the entry into force of the present amendment.

The Jura Constitution replaces that of the Canton of Bern on the territory of the Republic and Canton of Jura.

1 The legislation of the canton of Bern is accepted in its state as it was on the day before the entry into force of the Constitution, insofar as it is not contrary thereto and provided that it has not been modified according to a law developed by the Constituent Assembly and adopted by the electorate. 2 The legislation becomes that of the Republic and Canton of Jura and shall remain so as long as it has not been modified in the forms provided for by the Constitution.

1 The Constituent Assembly serves as the parliament until the day the Jurassian Parliament is constituted. 2 It exercises these powers, with the exception of those provided for in Art. 84 letter a) of the Constitution.

1 The Bureau of the Constituent Assembly functions as the government until the day the Jura Government is constituted. 2 It exercises governmental powers, except for those specified in Art. 92 letter a) of the Constitution. 3 The Constituent Assembly defines the tasks of the Bureau.

1 ... 2 The Parliament shall convene on the third Monday after its election, and the Government on the following day. 3 Disputes regarding the exercise of political rights, the organization of elections, and the verification of results shall be adjudicated by a commission of the Constituent Assembly established for this purpose.

The deputies to the Council of States are elected for a term that ends at the same time as the legislature of the National Council.

Notwithstanding Art. 62, para. 4 of the Constitution, no member of the Government may sit in the Federal Assembly within eight years following the election of the first Government.

1 The law facilitates the granting of Jura citizenship to Confederates established on June 23, 1974, in the territory of the new canton. 2 These legal provisions will remain in force for a maximum of five years.

Sovereignty belongs to the people, who exercise it directly or through their representatives.

French is the national and official language of the Republic and Canton of Jura.

The Republic and Canton of Jura collaborates with the other cantons of the Swiss Confederation.

It strives to ensure close cooperation with its neighbors.

It is open to the world and cooperates with peoples concerned with solidarity.

The coat of arms of the Republic and Canton of Jura is as follows: "Per pale argent a bishop's crozier gules, and gules three bars argent."

Men and women have equal rights.

No one shall suffer prejudice or gain advantage due to their birth, origin, race, beliefs, opinions, or social status.

Human dignity is inviolable.

Every human being has the right to the free development of their personality and to equal opportunities.

Individual freedom is guaranteed. In particular, the following are guaranteed: a. the right to life and to physical and moral integrity; b. the right to respect for private and family life and home; c. the right to marry and to have a family life; d. the right to raise and educate one's children; e. the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; f. the freedom to hold, express, and disseminate opinions, particularly freedom of the press; g. the freedom of association, assembly, and public demonstration; h. the freedom of study and education; i. the freedom of art and research; j. the freedom to choose and pursue a profession; k. the freedom of trade and industry; l. the freedom of establishment; m. the freedom to access public office.

No one may be deprived of their natural judge.

Every party must be heard before a decision is made on their case.

Everyone has the right to consult the file of their case, except in cases provided for by law.

Parties lacking necessary resources are entitled to free legal assistance according to the law.

Censorship is prohibited.

Property, recognized in its private and social function, is guaranteed within the limits of the law.

Expropriation entitles the owner to fair compensation, preferably in advance.

In an overriding public interest, the State shall take measures to prevent the abusive exercise of property rights, particularly with regard to land, housing, and significant means of production.

The State promotes farmers' access to rural land ownership.

The law may grant a right of preemption to the State and municipalities when an overriding public interest requires it.

Fundamental rights may only be limited by law and solely to the extent of an overriding public interest.

All public authority is limited by fundamental rights.

Everyone exercises their fundamental rights with respect for the rights of others.

Everyone is required to fulfill their legal duties towards the State and the municipalities.

The law regulates the conditions and procedure for acquiring cantonal and communal citizenship rights.

Communal citizenship forms the basis of cantonal citizenship.

The State protects and supports the family, the natural and fundamental unit of society.

It strengthens its role within the community.

The State and the municipalities promote general well-being and social security.

They particularly protect individuals who require assistance due to their age, health, and economic or social situation.

They encourage the integration of migrants into the social environment of Jura.

The right to work is recognized.

With the cooperation of municipalities, the State strives to promote full employment.

Every worker is entitled to a wage that ensures a decent standard of living.

The State encourages professional retraining.

It promotes the economic and social integration of persons with disabilities.

To ensure the protection of workers, the State shall: a. organize mandatory unemployment insurance; b. establish occupational health services; c. legislate on working conditions; d. promote workers' participation within enterprises; e. protect workers and their representatives in the exercise of their rights; f. ensure the application of the principle "equal pay for equal work"; g. recognize the right to strike; the law determines the public services in which it may be regulated.

The State establishes a cantonal body for conciliation and arbitration tasked with intervening in social conflicts.

The right to housing is recognized.

The State and the municipalities ensure that every person obtains appropriate housing under reasonable conditions.

They take measures to protect tenants against abuses.

The State and the communes may supplement the Confederation's insurance and social benefits and create others.

The State generalizes family allowances.

For the financing of insurance and social benefits, the law is inspired by the principle of solidarity.

Social assistance is the responsibility of the State and the municipalities.

The State and the municipalities ensure public hygiene and health.

They promote preventive medicine and encourage activities aimed at providing care to the sick and the disabled.

The State regulates and controls the practice of medical and paramedical professions.

The State organizes and coordinates the entire hospital system and ancillary medical services.

It provides for their maintenance.

It entrusts their management to a public law institution.

The State promotes home care.

The State organizes the public health police.

Insurance for illness, accident, and maternity is mandatory.

The State promotes the coverage of dental care costs by health insurance.

The State encourages the general practice of sports.

The State establishes the Public Health Council.

The law regulates its composition, functioning, and powers.

The school has the mission to ensure the full development of the children.

Together with the family, it assumes responsibility for their education and instruction.

It forms individuals who are free, aware of their responsibilities, and capable of taking charge of their own destiny.

School is mandatory.

The State organizes and controls the public school.

Access to kindergarten is guaranteed.

Education is free of charge.

The public school respects freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

Preschool and compulsory education are the responsibility of the State and municipalities.

High schools, vocational schools, trade schools, and business schools fall under the jurisdiction of the State.

In certain cases, vocational training may be entrusted to private institutions.

The State is responsible for the initial and ongoing training of the teaching staff.

The State maintains or promotes specialized institutions in which persons with disabilities receive training adapted to their condition.

The State shall, if necessary by means of agreements, create the opportunity to acquire certain educational programs that are not offered within the canton.

The right to open private schools is guaranteed within the limits of the law.

The State supports private schools under conditions set by the law.

All schools are placed under the supervision of the State.

The right to education is recognized.

The State and the municipalities facilitate attendance at schools and universities, as well as vocational training in general.

The State establishes the School Council.

The law regulates its composition, functioning, and powers.

The State and the municipalities support cultural activities in the fields of creation, research, animation, and dissemination.

They oversee and contribute to the conservation, enrichment, and enhancement of the Jura heritage, notably the dialect.

They promote the illustration of the French language.

The State and the municipalities promote adult education.

The State establishes the Office for Women's Status, whose tasks include: a. improving the status of women; b. promoting women's access to all levels of responsibility; c. eliminating any discrimination they may face.

The State and the municipalities ensure a balance between the preservation of the natural environment and the demands of economic and social life.

In the fulfillment of their tasks, they respect the principles of sustainable development and take into account the interests of future generations.

The State and the communes protect humans and their natural environment against nuisances; they particularly combat air, soil, and water pollution, as well as noise.

They preserve the beauty and uniqueness of landscapes, as well as the natural and architectural heritage.

The State protects wildlife and flora, particularly forests.

It regulates the practice of hunting and fishing.

The State and the municipalities ensure the prudent use of the land and the rational occupation of the territory.

They preserve the forest area and the agricultural area as much as possible, where forestry and agriculture remain priorities.

They allocate the necessary spaces for the development of the economy and communication routes.

They strive to maintain places particularly conducive to health and leisure for common use.

They consider the opinion of the affected populations.

The State promotes the economic development of the canton; it takes into account the needs of the regions and ensures the diversification of activities.

To this end, it may establish services and support institutions, including, in particular, an advisory Economic and Social Council and an Office of Economic Development.

The State legislates on matters of construction and roads.

The State promotes public transportation.

The State controls the exploitation of natural resources.

The State defines an agricultural policy.

The State considers the interests of consumers.

The State encourages humanitarian aid and cooperates in the development of disadvantaged peoples.

The State and the municipalities ensure public order, safety, and tranquility.

The legislative, executive, and judicial powers are separated.

Every act of authority must be founded on the principles of law and good faith.

It must be appropriate to its purpose.

The State and the municipalities are liable for the damage that authorities and officials cause, unlawfully, in the exercise of their functions.

Laws cannot have retroactive effect if they impose new charges or obligations on individuals or municipalities.

The people, the Parliament, and the Government may delegate their powers under the terms of the law. Concerning the people and the Parliament, the law limits the subject of each delegation and specifies its purpose and scope.

The law provides that, in the event of war or disaster, powers deviating from the Constitution may be temporarily conferred upon the Parliament or the Government.

The State organizes a legal information service which is in principle free of charge.

It may establish an independent mediation body in administrative matters.

No person may simultaneously hold two of the following positions: member of Parliament, member of the Government, permanent judge, prosecutor.

Members of the Government may not belong to a district or municipal authority.

Permanent judges may not be part of a municipal authority or another district authority.

The mandate of a federal parliamentarian is incompatible with the following positions: member of the cantonal parliament, permanent judge, prosecutor, and member of the Government.

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The law regulates cases of incompatibility concerning non-permanent judges and civil servants.

The law governs the incompatibilities of functions between relatives and in-laws.

The position of a member of the Government or of a permanent judge is incompatible with any other remunerated activity.

The deputies, the members of the Government, the judges, the prosecutors, and the members of the district and communal authorities are elected for five years.

The presidents and vice-presidents of the Parliament, the Government, and the Cantonal Court are elected for one year.

Any person elected during a term shall serve until the end of that term.

Deputies to the Council of States and deputies to the Parliament are only eligible for reelection twice consecutively.

Members of the Government are only eligible for reelection twice.

The presidents and vice-presidents of the Parliament, the Government, and the Cantonal Court are not immediately eligible for reelection in the same capacity.

Members of other State and district authorities are freely eligible for reelection.

The law may provide for the removal of members of the Government, judicial authorities, and municipal councils in the event of a serious misconduct or a permanent incapacity to perform their duties. It shall regulate the procedure and conditions thereof.

The law may provide for the dissolution of the Government in the event of the resignation of a majority of its members following a removal procedure targeting one of them. It shall regulate the procedure and conditions thereof.

The debates of the Parliament and the general councils are public.

The cantonal and communal authorities inform the people about their activities.

They publish important projects in a manner that allows for public discussion.

The Parliament and the Government have their seat in Delémont.

The Cantonal Court and the Court of First Instance have their seat in Porrentruy.

The cantonal administration is decentralized.

Eligible voters in cantonal matters are all men and women holding Swiss citizenship, who are at least eighteen years old and domiciled in the canton.

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Eligible voters in communal matters are all men and women holding Swiss citizenship, who are at least eighteen years old and domiciled in the commune.

The law regulates the cases in which a voter is deprived of their political rights.

Every voter has the right: a. to participate in elections and popular votes; b. to be elected to a public office under the conditions provided by the Constitution and the law; c. to sign initiatives and referendums.

The law governs the political rights of Jurassians residing outside the canton.

The law defines and regulates the right to vote and other political rights of foreigners.

The voters of the canton elect: a. the deputies to the Parliament and their substitutes; b. the members of the Government; c. the deputies to the Council of States.

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The voters of the municipality elect: a. the general councilors; b. the mayor and the municipal councilors; c. the members of other municipal bodies if provided for by law or municipal regulations.

Popular elections are conducted by secret ballot.

The deputies to the Council of States, the deputies to the Parliament, and the members of the general councils are elected by proportional representation.

Members of the Government and mayors are elected by majority vote.

Two thousand electors or five municipalities may request, by means of a popular initiative conceived in general terms or drafted in full, the adoption, amendment, or repeal of constitutional provisions or laws.

Five thousand electors may request in general terms that the Parliament exercise the State's right of initiative in federal matters.

The initiative must comply with superior law, concern only one subject area, and not be impossible to implement, otherwise the Parliament shall reject it due to nullity.

The initiative may be withdrawn under conditions set by law.

The Parliament decides whether the provisions it adopts or amends as a result of an initiative conceived in general terms are to be included in the Constitution or in the law.

If the Parliament decides not to follow up on a valid initiative or does not address it within a period of two years, it shall be submitted to a popular vote.

The Parliament may oppose a counter-proposal to any initiative.

If the people accept an initiative conceived in general terms, the Parliament must comply with it within a period of two years.

If the people accept both the initiative and the counter-proposal, the proposal that receives the greatest number of votes is adopted.

Subject to a popular vote are: a. the principle of a total revision of the Constitution and, simultaneously, the constitutional addendum that regulates its modalities; b. constitutional provisions; c. initiatives to which the Parliament does not respond; d. Any expenditure not determined by a law, if it is a one-time expenditure exceeding five-hundredths of the amount of the revenues stated in the most recent budget or a periodic expenditure exceeding five-thousandths of the same amount; e. laws and decrees that entail expenditures subject to the mandatory referendum; f. treaties, concordats, and other public law agreements that derogate from the Constitution, complement it, or entail expenditures subject to the mandatory referendum; g. the State budget in accordance with art. 123 a, para. 4 and 6.

Shall be submitted to a popular vote if two thousand electors or five municipalities request it: a. the laws; b. any expenditure not determined by a law, if it involves a one-time expenditure exceeding five thousandths of the amount of revenues recorded in the latest budget or a periodic expenditure exceeding five ten-thousandths of the same amount; c. treaties, concordats, and other public law agreements that derogate from the law, complement it, or entail expenses subject to an optional referendum; d. real estate transactions, guarantees, and participation in an economic enterprise, if the amounts involved exceed five thousandths of the amount of revenues recorded in the latest budget; e. plans in cases provided for by the law; f. initiatives submitted by the State in federal matters.

The Parliament may submit any decision it has made to a popular vote.

Everyone has the right to address a petition to the authorities.

Any authority that receives a petition is obliged to process it and respond.

The State recognizes the role of political parties and promotes their activities.

The Parliament is the main representative of the people.

It determines the policy of the canton.

It exercises the legislative power, subject to the rights of the people.

It exercises high supervision over the Government, the administration, and the judicial authorities.

The Parliament: a. drafts constitutional provisions in the case of a partial revision of the Constitution, b. enacts laws, notably those that regulate the implementation of federal law.

It issues decrees implementing significant execution provisions of federal law and cantonal laws.

Drafts of constitutional provisions, laws, and decrees are subject to two readings.

Subject to the rights of the people, the Parliament shall: a. elect the members of the Cantonal Court, the prosecutor, and the members of other authorities designated by law; b. approve treaties, concordats, and other public law agreements that are not the exclusive domain of the Government; c. discuss the governmental program and its implementation; d. approve cantonal plans concerning the economy, construction, and spatial planning, and determine their binding nature; e. approve the State's financial plans; f. adopt the budget and approve the accounts; g. approve any expenditure not determined by a law, if it is a one-time amount exceeding five ten-thousandths of the revenue amount stated in the last budget or a recurring expenditure exceeding five hundred-thousandths of that amount; h. decide on the conclusion of real estate transactions, the granting of guarantees, and participation in economic enterprises if the amounts involved exceed five ten-thousandths of the revenue amount stated in the last budget; i. authorize public loans; j. approve the management reports of the Government, the courts, and the autonomous cantonal institutions; k. resolve competence disputes in which the Constitutional Court is a party; l. exercise the right of pardon; m. grant amnesty; n. give its decision on the response given by the Government to federal consultations concerning important matters; o. exercise the right of state initiative at the federal level; p. exercise the right to request, alongside other cantons, the extraordinary convocation of the Federal Assembly and the submission of a federal law or federal decree to a popular vote; q. exercise any other power attributed to it by the Constitution or the law.

The Parliament consists of sixty deputies.

The law regulates the election of substitutes.

For the election of the Parliament, each district forms a constituency.

Three seats are automatically allocated to each constituency, with the others being distributed proportionally to the population.

The Parliament meets, upon convening by the president: a. in cases provided for by the regulations; b. when it specifically decides to do so; c. at the request of the Government; d. when twelve deputies request it, specifying the matters to be addressed.

Members of Parliament freely fulfill their mandate.

They cannot be prosecuted for the statements they make while exercising their mandate.

They are accountable only to Parliament for their actions.

The Government conducts the policy of the canton.

It exercises executive power and directs the administration.

It represents the State.

The Government participates in the development of legislation and may propose to the Parliament any constitutional provision, law, or decree.

Subject to the competence of the Parliament, it issues the ordinances that implement federal law, cantonal laws, and decrees.

In case of emergency, the Government may issue ordinances and take measures that deviate from statutes, decrees, or laws.

These ordinances and measures remain in effect as long as the necessary provisions cannot be made in accordance with the Constitution, but for no more than one year.

The Government, subject to the competencies of the people and the Parliament: a. appoints officials and any other person in charge of a cantonal public function; b. authorizes any expenditure not determined by a law; c. decides on the conclusion of real estate transactions, the granting of guarantees, and participation in economic enterprises.

Additionally, the Government: a. concludes public law agreements on matters of minor importance; b. presents a general policy program to the Parliament at the beginning of the legislative term; c. presents a report to the Parliament at the end of the legislative term on the implementation of its program; d. plans, subject to the competencies of the Parliament, the activities of the State and ensures the implementation of the plans; e. prepares and submits the State's budget and accounts to the Parliament; f. manages the State's assets and finances; g. maintains public order and to this end commands the cantonal military forces; h. executes laws, decrees, and orders, as well as court judgments; i. coordinates the activity of the authorities and organizes the administration within the limits of the law; j. assumes the supervision of the municipalities; k. oversees autonomous cantonal institutions; l. rules on complaints and appeals in cases provided by the law; m. grants cantonal citizenship; n. responds, subject to the competencies of the Parliament, to consultations from federal authorities; o. regularly consults and informs federal parliamentarians; p. exercises any other competency assigned to it by law or not allocated to a specific authority.

The Government consists of five members.

For the election of the Government, the canton forms a single constituency.

The President and the Vice-President of the Government are elected by the Parliament.

The Government acts as a collegial body.

Important matters always remain within its jurisdiction.

Each member of the Government manages a department whose responsibilities are determined by law. Coordination between the departments must be ensured.

The Government may submit proposals to the Parliament.

It attends the sessions of the Parliament and may intervene on each item.

The State establishes the Advisory Council of Jurassiens domiciled outside the canton.

Every official is at the service of the people.

The administration must be efficient and economical.

The law may delegate certain State tasks to autonomous establishments or institutions.

The courts are independent.

Justice of the first instance is administered throughout the cantonal territory by the Court of First Instance.

The Cantonal Court rules in the first instance in cases provided for by law.

Justice in the second instance is administered by the Cantonal Court.

The Constitutional Court of the Cantonal Tribunal reviews, upon request and before enforcement, the constitutionality of laws.

It adjudicates within the limits of the law: a. disputes concerning the validity of cantonal and communal decrees, orders, ordinances, and regulations; b. disputes related to the autonomy of communes, recognized Churches, and their parishes; c. disputes concerning the exercise of political rights, the validity of cantonal elections and votes, and, upon appeal, the validity of elections and votes organized in districts and communes; d. jurisdictional conflicts between cantonal authorities, unless the Constitutional Court itself is a party; e. other disputes specified by the law.

In criminal matters, the protection of minors falls under a special jurisdiction.

Public action is carried out by the public prosecutor's office.

The law regulates the modalities of election of the judicial authorities, their organization and competencies, as well as the procedure within the limits of federal law.

The districts are administrative divisions of the canton.

The law regulates their organization.

It establishes the method of election of authorities and their powers.

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The territory of the canton is divided into three districts: Delémont, Les Franches-Montagnes, Porrentruy.

The districts are defined by law.

Municipalities and associations of municipalities are public law entities.

Their existence and autonomy are guaranteed within the limits of the Constitution and the law.

The municipalities are placed under the supervision of the Government.

The Government monitors, in particular, their financial management and the execution of tasks assigned to them by the Confederation and the canton.

If irregularities are found, the Government takes measures as provided by law.

In serious cases, it may suspend the municipal bodies and replace them with an extraordinary administration.

When the municipal bodies cannot be constituted, the Government establishes an extraordinary administration.

Communes may not modify their boundaries, merge, divide, or be annexed to another district without the consent of their voters and the approval of Parliament. The State facilitates the mergers of communes. Under conditions and in exceptional cases provided by law, Parliament may decide on the merger of two or more communes, or the modification of boundaries between communes.

For certain tasks of common interest, municipalities have the right to form associations which may include municipalities outside the canton.

The constitutive act and the regulations of the association must be adopted by the municipalities involved and approved by the Government.

The Government exercises the same oversight over associations of municipalities as it does over the municipalities themselves.

In cases provided for by law, the Government may decide to establish an association of municipalities and draw up its constitutive act and regulations.

The municipal commune shall undertake the local tasks that are not the responsibility of either the Confederation or the canton.

The municipal commune shall establish organizational regulations.

These regulations must be adopted by the electorate and approved by the Government.

The Government shall grant its approval if the regulations are in compliance with the Constitution and the law.

The municipal commune must have the following bodies: a. the electorate; b. the communal council; c. the permanent commissions prescribed by law.

Communal sovereignty belongs to the electoral body.

The electoral body expresses its will in a communal assembly or through voting.

The competencies of the electoral body, the organization and functioning of the communal assembly, the voting processes, and the right of initiative are governed by law, which may refer to municipal regulations.

The municipal assembly may be replaced by a general council.

The election, powers, organization, and operation of the general council, as well as the referendum against its decisions, are regulated by law, which may defer to municipal regulations.

The municipal council is the executive and administrative authority of the municipal commune.

It is presided over by the mayor.

The election, competencies, organization, and functioning of the council are regulated by law, which may refer to the municipal regulations.

The canton recognizes, in addition to municipal communes, mixed communes, bourgeois communes, and sections of a commune, whose status is regulated by law.

The State and the municipalities collect taxes and other public contributions necessary for the execution of their tasks.

Public contributions are established and, for the most part, regulated by law.

Taxpayers are jointly responsible, according to their economic capacity, for the expenses of the State and the municipalities.

The State and the municipalities must be administered in a spirit of economy.

The State manages its finances by considering the needs of the entire canton.

State and municipalities establish financial plans based on public task planning.

The principles of public financial management are governed by law.

The State organizes the control of cantonal and municipal finances.

The State budget must show a degree of self-financing of at least 80%.

In the event of a balance sheet deficit or if the gross debt exceeds one and a half times the budgeted amount for cantonal taxes, the degree of self-financing must be at least 100%.

Parliament may, by a majority of at least two-thirds of the deputies, derogate from paragraphs 1 and 2 if extraordinary circumstances justify it; however, it may not derogate in two consecutive years.

When the two-thirds majority of the deputies cannot be reached or when Parliament has derogated from paragraphs 1 and 2 the previous year, the budget that does not meet these conditions is subject to a mandatory referendum.

If the people accept the budget, the derogation as per paragraph 3 may apply to the next budget.

If the people reject the budget, Parliament shall adopt a new one. If this one does not meet the conditions of paragraphs 1 and 2, it is subject to a mandatory referendum.

Moreover, the law regulates the modalities of the debt brake.

The budget and accounts of the State, those of the municipalities, municipal unions, and their establishments and institutions, are public.

Any bill, decree, or order that incurs expenses shall be accompanied by a financing plan.

The State shall take measures to mitigate inequalities between municipalities of differing economic and financial capacities.

The State establishes a cantonal bank under its supervision.

It guarantees its commitments.

The cantonal bank supports the economic policy of the canton.

The State, the municipalities, and the municipal associations may participate in or create economic enterprises.

The mining rights and the salt rights are reserved to the State.

The Roman Catholic Church and the Evangelical Reformed Church of the canton are recognized as public law corporations.

Parliament may recognize other significant and enduring churches as such.

Other religious communities are subject to private law.

Recognized Churches organize themselves autonomously.

Each recognized Church establishes an ecclesiastical Constitution, which must be adopted by its members and approved by the Government.

The Government must approve the ecclesiastical Constitution if it is adopted according to democratic principles and is in conformity with the Constitution and the law.

Every inhabitant of the canton belongs to the Church of their confession if they fulfill the conditions it requires.

Any member of a recognized Church can leave by means of a written declaration.

The recognized Churches organize the cantonal territory into parishes, according to the provisions of their ecclesiastical Constitution. Parishes are public law entities.

The recognized Churches or their parishes may levy taxes in the form of supplements to the taxes specified by law.

The State and the municipalities collaborate in the collection of the church tax through their administrative services.

Decisions of the recognized Churches or their parishes regarding taxes are subject to appeal in accordance with the law.

The law governs the cases in which the State grants subsidies to the Churches.

The Constitution may be revised in whole or in part.

Any revision must be submitted to a popular vote.

The partial revision follows the ordinary legislative procedure.

It may pertain to one or more articles.

It must concern only one subject matter.

The total revision of the Constitution is proposed to the people by means of a popular initiative or by the Parliament.

A constitutional addendum regulates the procedures.

If the constitutional addendum is rejected, the Parliament submits a new draft to the people within a period of one year.