State of emergency
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[edit] Use and viewpoints
[edit] Abuse
[edit] State-of-emergency law in selected countries
[edit] Argentina
[edit] Australia
State-of-emergency legislation differs in each state of Australia.[edit] Canada
[edit] Denmark
The police chief in a district can impose a zone in which people can be body searched without a specific suspicion. Such an order must be issued in writing, published, and imposed for a limited period. The police law (article 6) regulates this area.[6] The normal procedure calls for assisting the suspect to a private area and stripping them.[7]If the police feel that a situation involving a crowd of people can get out of hand, they can call for mass arrest of all people in an area and detain them for six hours without charging them. This is called a precluding arrest.
[edit] Egypt
[edit] France
Three main dispositions concern various kind of "state of emergency" in France: article 16 of the Constitution of 1958 allows, in time of crisis, "extraordinary powers" to the president. Article 36 of the same constitution regulates "state of siege." Finally, the April 3, 1955 Act allows the proclamation, by the Council of Ministers, of the "state of emergency" (état d'urgence).[11] The distinction between article 16 and the 1955 Act concerns mainly the distribution of powers: whereas in article 16, the executive power basically suspend the regular procedures of the Republic, the 1955 Act permits a twelve-day state of emergency, after which a new law extending the emergency must be voted by the Parliament. These dispositions have been used at various times, in 1955, 1958, 1961, 1988 and 2005 (see below).The state of emergency in France is framed by the Constitution of 1958, which states that it can be decreed by the Président de la république in the Council of Ministers, but must be confirmed by Parliament in order to be held after 12 days. State of emergency gives authorities the power to:
- Regulate or forbid circulation and gathering in some areas (including by the use of curfew)
- Close places of gathering
- Conduct house-to-house searches at any time without judicial oversight
- Censorship
Article 16 of the Constitution gives the head of government "extraordinary powers" in exceptional cases, leading to an effective "state of exception":
The conditions are both that the state is confronted to exceptional circumstances and that the regular institutions are disrupted and cannot effectively govern.[12] This amendment to the Constitution of the Fifth Republic has been qualified as "liberticide" by critics.[12] Invoked on 23 April 1961 during the Algerian War; normal functioning of institutions was quickly restored.[12]When the institutions of the Republic, the independence of the nation, the integrity of its territory, or the fulfillment of its international commitments are under grave and immediate threat and when the proper functioning of the constitutional governmental authorities is interrupted, the President of the Republic shall take the measures demanded by these circumstances after official consultation with the Prime Minister, the Presidents of the Assemblies, and the Constitutional Council. He shall inform the nation of these measures by a message.
These measures must be prompted by a will to ensure within the shortest possible time that the constitutional governmental authorities have the means of fulfilling their duties. The Constitutional Council shall be consulted with regard to such measures.
Parliament shall meet ipso jure.
The National Assembly may not be dissolved during the exercise of emergency powers.
In the judgment Rubin de Servens of March 2, 1962, the Conseil d'État judged that he could not himself invoke article 16, as that constituted an "act of government". Furthermore, the State Council considered that it could only pronounce on rulings which were not legislative acts carried out during this period. Thus, a legislative measure (although the role of Parliament is not specified, just that it is not to be dissolved) which breaches fundamental liberties cannot be appealed against before the Conseil d'État.[12]
Article 36 of the Constitution is concerned with the state of siege, which can be decreed by the Council of Ministers for a period of twelve days which can only be extended with the approval of the Parliament. A state of siege may be declared in case of an "imminent peril resulting from a foreign war [guerre étrangère, or simply "war"] or an armed insurrection (une insurrection à main armée).[13] Military authorities may take police powers if they judge it necessary. Fundamental liberties may be restricted, such as the right of association, legalization of searches in private places day and night, the power to expel people who have been condemned for common law matters or people who do not have the right of residence in the territory, etc.
Since 1955 a state of emergency has been decreed five times:
- In 1955 in Algeria due to independentist unrest
- In 1958 due to the uprising in Algeria
- In 1961 after the Generals' putsch (invocation of article 16 from April 23 to September 29, 1961[12])
- In 1984 in New Caledonia due to independentist troubles
- During the 2005 civil unrest in France President Jacques Chirac declared a state of emergency on November 8, 2005. It was extended for three months on November 16 by the Parliament, which was dominated by the UMP majority. On December 10 France's highest administrative body, the Council of State, ruled that the three-month state of emergency decreed to guarantee calm following unrest was legal. It rejected a complaint from 74 law professors and the Green party, declaring that the conditions that led to the unrest (which began on October 27), the rapid spread of violence, and the possibility that it could recur justified the state of emergency. The complaint challenged the state of emergency's necessity and said it compromised fundamental liberties.[14][15][16]
On July 23, 2008 a constitutional act was passed which, among other amendments, added a paragraph to article 16 of the Constitution[17] which stated that after 30 days the Constitutional Council can be requested to determine whether the conditions that justified the use of article 16 are still current; the ruling is public. At any time beyond 60 days the Council rules on this issue without the need for a referral.
[edit] Germany
The Weimar Republic constitution allowed states of emergency under Article 48 to deal with rebellions. Article 48 was often invoked during the 14-year life of the Republic, sometimes for no reason other than to allow the government to act when it was unable to obtain a parliamentary majority.After the February 27, 1933 Reichstag fire, an attack blamed on the communists, Adolf Hitler declared a state of emergency using Article 48, and then had President von Hindenburg sign the Reichstag Fire Decree, which suspended the Weimar Constitution for the whole duration of the Third Reich: the Weimar Constitution was never actually repealed by Nazi Germany, but "indefinitely suspended". After the prohibition of the Communist Party of Germany on March 1, 1933 the NSDAP (Nazi Party) had hands free to vote in the March 23, 1933 Enabling Act, which enabled Chancellor Adolf Hitler and his cabinet to enact laws without the participation of the Reichstag. These two laws implemented the Gleichschaltung, the Nazis' institution of totalitarianism.
In the postwar Federal Republic of Germany the Notstandgesetze state that some of the basic constitutional rights of the Grundgesetz may be limited in case of a state of defence (war), a state of tension , or an internal state of emergency or disaster (catastrophe). These amendments to the constitution were passed on May 30, 1968 despite fierce opposition by the Außerparlamentarische Opposition (extraparliamentary opposition; German student movement).
[edit] Hong Kong
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress can declare a state of emergency and deploy troops from the Hong Kong Garrison under the Law of the People's Republic of China on the garrisoning of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.The Chief Executive of Hong Kong along with the Executive Council can prohibit public gatherings, issue curfew orders, prohibit the movement of vessels or aircraft and appoint special constable all under Chapter 245 ("Public Order Ordinance") of Hong Kong Law.
[edit] Hungary
According to the Hungarian Constitution, the National Assembly of Hungary can declare state of emergency in case of armed rebellion or natural or industrial disaster. It expires after 30 days, but can be extended. Most civil rights can be suspended, but basic human rights (such as the right to live, the ban of torture, and freedom of religion) cannot.During state of emergency, the Parliament cannot be disbanded.
[edit] India
- In 1962 Sino-Indian War
- In 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
- In 1971 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
[edit] Ireland
According to Article 28.3.3. of the Constitution of Ireland, "no article of the Constitution may be invoked to invalidate any law enacted by the Oireachtas which is expressed to be for the purpose of securing the public safety and the preservation of the State in time of war or armed rebellion, or to nullify any act done or purporting to be done in time of war or armed rebellion in pursuance of any such law". The time of war or armed rebellion includes actions outside the state itself, and is not limited in time to the duration of the war or armed rebellion. A state of emergency was declared in 1939 at the outbreak of the Second World War, though Ireland was not a participant (The period was and is referred to as The Emergency in Ireland). This state of emergency was not technically lifted until 1972, and was succeeded by a second state of emergency to deal with the Troubles in Northern Ireland, which lasted until the IRA ceasefire in 1994.[edit] Malaysia
[edit] New Zealand
The government and local city council may, at some stages, issue a state of emergency through the region. This may suspend ordinary work and essential services if need be. The state of emergency in New Zealand expires on the commencement of the seventh day after the date on which it was declared, unless it is extended. However, the acting prime minister or local mayor may lift the state of emergency after an initial review of the region's status.[edit] Pakistan
In Pakistan, a state of emergency was declared four times in its history:- In 1958 by President Iskander Mirza
- In 1969 by President General Yahya Khan
- In 1977 by President General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
- In 2007 by President General Pervez Musharraf
See International reaction to the 2007 Pakistani state of emergency.
[edit] Spain
[edit] Turkey
[edit] United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the Monarch, the Privy Council, or the Prime Minister can make emergency regulations under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 if there is a serious threat to human welfare, the environment, or in case of war or terrorism. These regulations last for seven days unless confirmed otherwise by Parliament. However, as there are no entrenched constitutional provisions, Parliament can pass restrictive legislation limited only by international treaties and public outrage.A state of emergency was last invoked in 1974 by Prime Minister Edward Heath in response to increasing industrial action.
[edit] United States
The president of the United States, as head of the executive branch, has the authority to declare a federal state of emergency. The only emergency provisions in the U.S. Constitution are:[20] "The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it."[21] and an exemption from the privilege of a grand jury hearing for cases arising in the military when in service in a time of "public danger".
Habeas corpus was suspended on April 27, 1861 during the American Civil War by Abraham Lincoln in parts of Maryland and some midwestern states, including southern Indiana. He did so in response to demands by generals to set up military courts to rein in "copperheads", those in the Union who supported the Confederate cause. Lambdin P. Milligan and four others were accused of planning to steal Union weapons and invade Union prisoner-of-war camps, and were sentenced to hang by a military court in 1864. However, their execution was not set until May 1865, so they were able to argue the case after the Civil War. It was decided in the Supreme Court case Ex Parte Milligan 71 US 2 1866 that the suspension was unconstitutional because civilian courts were still operating, and the Constitution only provided for suspension of habeas corpus if these courts are actually forced closed.
On December 16, 1950, during the Korean War, President Truman issued Presidential Proclamation No. 2914,[22] declaring a state of national emergency.[23] The Supreme Court ruling in Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer established in 1952 during this emergency that presidents may not act contrary to Acts of Congress during an emergency.
During the Watergate scandal which erupted in the 1970s after President Richard Nixon authorized a variety of illegal acts, Congress investigated the extent of the President's powers and belatedly realized that the U.S. had been in a continuous state of emergency since 1950. As a result, in 1976 the National Emergencies Act set a limit of two years on emergency declarations unless the president explicitly extends them, and requiring the president to specify in advance which legal provisions will be invoked. The Act terminated the emergency of 1950 on September 14, 1978;[24] however, even in the 21st century, the federal courts have upheld harsh penalties (including deportation) for crimes that occurred during the state of national emergency from 1950 to 1978, where the penalties were escalated because of the existence of that emergency.[22]
The 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act allows freezing of assets, limiting of trade, and confiscation of property during a declared emergency.
A federal emergency declaration allows the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to exercise its power to deal with emergency situations; federal assistance also becomes available to areas that are declared to be in a state of emergency. For FEMA, emergency declarations are different from the more common disaster declarations done for hurricanes and floods. Typically, a state of emergency empowers the executive to name coordinating officials to deal with the emergency and to override normal administrative processes regarding the passage of administrative rules.
The United States is formally in an ongoing limited state of emergency declared by several Presidents for several reasons. A state of emergency began on January 24, 1995 with the signing of Executive Order 12947 by President Bill Clinton. In accordance with the National Emergencies Act, the executive order's actual effect was not a declaration of a general emergency, but a limited embargo on trade with "Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process".[25] This "national emergency" was expanded in 1998 to include additional targets such as Osama bin Laden,[26] and has been continued to at least 2008 by order of President George W. Bush.[27] There are a number of other ongoing national emergencies of this type, referenced at [2] and [3], regarding for instance diamond trade with Sierra Leone. Especially noteworthy are the ongoing states of emergency declared on November 14, 1979 regarding the Iran Hostage Crisis.,[28] that declared on March 15, 1995 with respect to Iran,[29] and that declared on September 14, 2001 through Bush's Proclamation 7463, regarding the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.[30]
President Barack Obama extended George Bush's Declaration of Emergency regarding terrorism on September 10, 2010 [31].
[edit] Examples
[edit] Ongoing
- The Philippines declared on September 26, 2009 "state of calamity" for Metro Manila and 25 other nearby provinces due to heavy flooding caused by Tropical Storm Ketsana (Local name: Ondoy).
- The United States has declared a national emergency over the terrorist attacks on 9/11 2001.
- The Philippine province of Sulu is in a state of emergency due to an ongoing hostage taking.
- The Brazilian state of Santa Catarina is in a state of emergency due to intense raining and flooding
- The United States is technically in an effectively permanent state of national emergency with regard to specific international problems, notably the threat of terrorism.[32][33] However, this does not interfere with the normal operation of the law, and is not considered to be in violation of the Constitution.
- Egypt has been in a state of emergency almost without interruption since the Six-Day War in June 1967. The state of emergency has been actually continuous since the 1981 assassination of President Anwar El Sadat; Parliament renews the emergency powers pro forma every few years and most recently in 2010.
- Brunei has been in a state of emergency since December 12, 1962 in response to a pro-independence rebellion.
- Israel has been in a state of emergency since the 1948 War of Independence.[34] Israel's parliament, The Knesset, re-extends the validity of the state of emergency annually.[35]
- Syria has been in a state of emergency since the Baathist coup of March 8, 1963, although it was supposed to have been relaxed.[36]
- Tonga's prime minister declared a state of emergency on November 17, 2006 due to civil unrest in the nation's capital.
- Fiji is under a state of emergency as declared by Commodore Frank Bainimarama on December 5, 2006 in the 2006 Fijian coup d'état.
- Vanuatu declared a state of emergency on March 5, 2007 because of ethnic clashes in the capital Port Vila.
- In the Palestinian Occupied Territories, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared a state of emergency in the Gaza Strip and West Bank following Hamas's takeover of power in Gaza Strip.
- Algeria has been in a state of emergency since the 1992 coup.
- Somalia has been in a state of emergency since 2009.
- Greece declares State of emergency due to uncontrolled wild fires around Athens on August 22, 2009.
- A state of emergency has been declared in the provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato City in the Philippines due to the recent massacre.
- Jamaica declared State of Emergency in Kingston on May 23, 2010
- Thailand is currently under the State of Emergency since mid-May 2010.
- Puerto Rico declared State of Emergency on August 30, 2010 following the closed path of Hurricane Earl.
- New Zealand declared State of Emergency in the city of Christchurch on September 4, 2010 after a powerful earthquake damaged the city and surrounding areas
[edit] Past states of emergency
- April 11, 2009 - Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declared a state of emergency in the areas of Pattaya and Chonburi, in response to anti-government protestors breaking into the conference center of a hotel complex in the sea-side resort city of Pattaya, in the then-venue site of the ASEAN was being held, immediately resulting in its cancellation.[37] Another state of emergency on April 12, 2009, was announced in Bangkok and the surrounding areas, due to an heightened escalation of tension between the government and anti-government protesters, but was later lifted.[38]
- January 2009 - Slovakia was in a state of emergency due to natural gas supply shortage.
- January 11, 2007 - Bangladesh was in a state of emergency due to electoral violence. This ended on December 16, 2008, when new parliamentary elections were organised.
- September 2, 2008 - A state of emergency was declared in Bangkok by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej following civil unrest; it was lifted on September 14, 2008.
- July 1, 2008 - Mongolian president Nambaryn Enkhbayar declared a state of emergency in the capital Ulaanbaatar for four days after violent protests against the ex-communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP). The MPRP had claimed a majority of seats in the 2008 parliamentary elections, but was accused of fraud and vote rigging by the less-successful parties.[39]
- March 2008 - Armenia was in a state of emergency from March 2, 2008 to March 20, 2008, declared by President Robert Kocharian in response to protests over the 2008 Armenian presidential elections.[40]
- November 3, 2007 - Pakistan was in a state of emergency from November 3, 2007 to December 15, 2007. President Pervez Musharraf declared emergency "to stop Pakistan from committing suicide". He lifted the state of emergency after he resigned from the army and took the oath of office as a civilian President of Pakistan.
- August 25, 2007 - Greece was in a state of emergency from August 25, 2007 to August 28, 2007 due to the highly destructive forest fires that occurred throughout the country.[41]
- January 2007 - Santa Clara County in California was under a state of emergency due to extremely cold temperatures.[42]
- May 14, 2006 - The U.S. states of Massachusetts and New Hampshire declared a state of emergency as a result of massive flooding from the strongest rains to hit the regions in almost 70 years.
- October 13, 2006 - Buffalo, New York declared a state of emergency when the "most devastating snow storm in U.S. history"[citation needed] hit the city. Schools and businesses were closed for a week, and Buffalo and surrounding towns and cities were declared major disaster areas by President Bush.
- February 24, 2006 - the Philippines declared a state of emergency via Philippine Proclamation 1017 for one week until Philippine Proclamation 1021, in response to a supposed coup against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's government in the midst of the 20th anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution that toppled the rule of Ferdinand Marcos. Main article: 2006 state of emergency in the Philippines
- Mid-August 2005 - Sucumbios and Orellana, two provinces of Ecuador, because of indigenous protests against oil firms
- Friday April 15, 2005 - Quito, capital of Ecuador
- February to April 2005 - Nepal
- December 2004 - Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Maldives because of a tsunami.
- November 2004 - Iraq
- October 2004 - the Gaza Strip and West Bank
- April 2004 - Ryongchon, North Korea following a major explosion
- November 2003 - Georgia, following weeks of civil unrest.
- August 2003 - Michigan, Ohio, New York, US and Ontario, Canada, in response to the 2003 North America blackout
- August 2003 - Philippines
- August 2003 - Portugal, in response to forest fires
- July 2003 - Mexico, in response to a West Nile virus outbreak (estado de emergencia)
- May 2003 - Peru (estado de excepción or estado de sitio depending on the source)
- April 2003 - Mato Grosso, Brazil, in response to torrential rainfall (estado de emergência)
- March 2003 - Serbia after assassination of Zoran Đinđić (vanredno stanje)
- January 2003 - Canberra, the national capital of Australia during the Canberra bushfires of 2003
- September 2002 - Moscow, Russia, in response to smoke pollution from forest fires
- July 2002 - Paraguay (estado de excepción)
- December 2001 - Argentina (estado de sitio), in response to public unrest.
- November 2001 - Nepal, in response to increased guerrilla activity
- September 2001 - the U.S., in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks.
- November 30, 1999 - Seattle, Washington, stemming from protest of the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 and police reaction to it. Main article: WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 protest activity
- August 5, 1995 - Trinidad and Tobago to remove Speaker of the House Occah Seapaul who refused to resign.[43]
- Winter 1995 - Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan after a severe snowstorm buried the city in 6 feet (1.8 m) of snow.
- March 1992 - Republic of Moldova, in response to ethnic conflict between Romanian and Russian minorities
- July–August 1990 - Trinidad and Tobago declared a state of emergency when a group stormed Parliament and a TV Station holding government officials, including the Prime Minister at ransom. See Jamaat al Muslimeen coup attempt
- July 1985 to February 1990 - South Africa, in response to increasing civil unrest and township violence opposing apartheid rule.
- 1975 to 1977 - India. Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency in 1975 in response to political opposition and her own conviction on charges of electoral fraud. The Emergency lasted for 19 months; Main article: Indian Emergency
- 1972 to 1976 - Mauritius, due to ethnic and labor-related unrest. Elections were suspended during this period, and political rights were broadly circumscribed.
- 1971 - Queensland, Australia in response to fears over increasing protest over the 1971 Springbok tour
- 1970 to 1972 - Trinidad and Tobago a state of emergency was declared to deal with the Black Power Revolution which also included a mutiny in the Military.
- 1972 - the United Kingdom in response to increasingly militant industrial action.
- October 1970 - Quebec in response to the October Crisis kidnappings of government officials.
- July 1967 - Detroit in response to the 12th Street riot started on Sunday morning during a blind pig raid.
- 1948 to 1960 - Malayan Emergency in Malaysia and Singapore
- 1950 to 1978 - United States due to the Cold War, specifically the threat of "world conquest by communist imperialism."[22]
- 1939 to 1952 - United States due to World War II
- 1941 to 1942 - Moscow due to the German Advance to within 19 miles (31 km) of the city
- March 18, 1907 - Moldavia and Wallachia in Romania during the 1907 Romanian Peasants' Revolt.