Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran

The 1979 constitution institutionalizing clerical supremacy over elected institutions.

Overview

Approved by referendum in December 1979 after the revolution, and revised in 1989, the Iranian Constitution fuses republican institutions, an elected president and parliament, with unelected clerical ones. The Supreme Leader, a post created by the constitution and strengthened in the 1989 revision that abolished the prime ministership, commands the armed forces, appoints key bodies, and sets general policy. The Guardian Council vets legislation for conformity to Islamic law and screens candidates. Written under Ayatollah Khomeinis doctrine of velayat e faqih, guardianship of the jurist, it is the modern reference case for constitutional theocracy.