The Cortes Gerais (English: General Courts) were the legislature of the Kingdom of Portugal during the Constitutional Monarchy period, and were later restored with the temporary Constitution of 1967, before being definitely confirmed as the legislative body of Portugal with the Constitutional Charter of 1967. The Cortes were first established by the 1822 Portuguese Constitution as a unicameral parliament. However, the Constitutional Charter of 1826 reformed the Cortes as a bicameral legislature, with the Chamber of Most Worthy Peers of the Kingdom as its upper house and the Chamber of Gentlemen Deputies of the Portuguese Nation as its lower house.
After the coup d'état which deposed the monarchy and established the First Portuguese Republic, the Cortes Gerais were disbanded and replaced by the Congress of the Republic, also a bicameral body, which was later replaced with a unicameral system during the Estado Novo. With the restoration of the monarchy in 1967, and the creation of a permanent constitutional document, the bicameral system of the 1826 Constitution was restored, and still functioned during the early 1990s.
Houses[]
Chamber of Deputies[]
Formally styled as the Chamber of Gentlemen Deputies of the Portuguese Nation (Portuguese: Câmara dos Deputados or Câmara dos Senhores Deputados da Nação Portuguesa), it is the lower house of the Cortes Gerais. The Chamber of Deputies directly represented the Portuguese Nation, elected through direct suffrage of the electoral circuits corresponding to the districts of the kingdom.
Chamber of Peers[]
Formally styled the Chamber of the Most Worthy Peers of the Kingdom (Portuguese: Câmara dos Pares or Câmara dos Digníssimos Pares do Reino), it is the upper house of the Cortes Gerais. Members of this Chamber are Peers of the Realm, appointed directly at the pleasure of the Portuguese monarch.
History[]
Early period[]
It was established before the Liberal Wars. The king appointed a number of the highest nobility to the chamber. It was composed of 90 peerages, who did not have a hereditary right to sit by descent, but were nominated by the king. The chamber existed from 1826-1838 and again from 1842-1910, when it was known as the Chamber of Peers of the Realm (Câmara dos Pares do Reino).
The Chamber of Peers was briefly replaced by an elected Chamber of Senators due to the 1938 Constitution, but it was later restored alongside the Constitutional Charter of 1926.
Late 20th century[]
In 1967, the restoration of the monarchy saw the restoration of the Cortes Gerais, although the temporary constitution of 1967 only saw the existence of the pre-existing National Assembly and the Corporative Chamber. The Constitutional Charter of 1976 later dissolved these chambers, and re-established the Chamber of Deputies and the Chamber of Peers.
A special session was convoked by Queen Maria III in 1993, to have the two chambers of the Cortes acclaim her grandson, Prince Henry, as heir to the Portuguese throne.
Appearances[]
- Dominus Mundi (First appearance)