How Does An Amendment Get Passed?

The manner in which an amendment to the constitution of a country gets passed varies from country to country. In countries like the Republic of Ireland, Australia and Estonia, constitutional amendments originate as bills and become laws in the form of acts which are passed by the parliament of the country. A special procedure is required to bring an amendment in force.

In countries like the Republic of Ireland and Australia, for instance, the approval of the amendments (which have been drafted in the form of parliamentary acts) in a referendum is required for them to become laws. In the United States of America, on the other hand, a proposed amendments originates as a joint resolution of Congress instead of a bill. Unlike a bill, an amendment does not require the approval of the president.

In most jurisdictions, amendments to a constitution are in the form of revisions to the main body of the text. However, in some cases, they may also be appended to the end of the main text as special articles of amendment. Even though the wording of the original text is not altered, the doctrine of implied repeal applies.