Constitution of Saint Kitts and Nevis

The Constitution of Saint Kitts and Nevis was adopted on 23 June 1983 and became effective on 19 September 1983, the day the country achieved independence from the United Kingdom. It establishes a constitutional monarchy headed by the British sovereign, with a unicameral legislature, and creates a federal structure with an unusual shape: only Nevis has its own island administration, while Saint Kitts is governed directly by the National Assembly. The constitution also gives Nevis an explicit right to secede if two-thirds of its voters approve in a referendum; a 1998 secession referendum on Nevis fell short of that threshold and failed. The document runs to eleven chapters and several schedules defining citizens' rights, governmental powers and state responsibilities.