Legal System of Mauritania

Mauritania is located in Africa. It is geographically situated in western africa, bordering the north atlantic ocean, between senegal and western sahara. The country achieved independence on 28 november 1960 (from france). The capital is Nouakchott.

Government Overview

Government Type: presidential republic Chief of State: President Mohamed Ould Cheikh el GHAZOUANI (since 1 August 2019) Head of Government: Prime Minister Moctar Ould DIAY (since 2 August 2024) Cabinet: Council of Ministers nominees suggested by the prime minister, appointed by the president Administrative Divisions: 15 regions (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott Nord, Nouakchott Ouest, Nouakchott Sud, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza National Holiday: Independence Day, 28 November (1960) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal System

The legal system of Mauritania is described as mixed system of Islamic and French civil law International Law: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Constitutional Framework

The constitution has the following history: previous 1964; latest adopted 12 July 1991 Amendment Process: proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; consideration of amendments by Parliament requires approval of at least one third of the membership; a referendum is held only if the amendment is approved by two-thirds majority vote; passage by referendum requires simple majority vote by eligible voters; passage of amendments proposed by the president can bypass a referendum if approved by at least three-fifths majority vote by Parliament

Judicial Branch

Highest Court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Suprême (subdivided into 7 chambers: 2 civil, 2 labor, 1 commercial, 1 administrative, and 1 criminal, each with a chamber president and 2 councilors); Constitutional Council (consists of 9 members); High Court of Justice (consists of 9 members) Judge Selection: Supreme Court president appointed by the president of the republic to serve a 5-year renewable term; Constitutional Council members appointed - 3 by the president of the republic, 2 by the president of the National Assembly, 1 by the prime minister, 1 by the leader of the democratic opposition, 1 by the largest opposition party in the National Assembly, and 1 by the second largest party in the National Assembly; members serve single, 9-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 3 years; High Court of Justice members appointed by Parliament - 6 by the ruling Coalition of Majority Parties and 3 by opposition parties Subordinate Courts: Courts of Appeal; courts of first instance, or wilya courts, are established in the regions’ headquarters and include commercial and labor courts, criminal courts, Moughataa (district) Courts, and informal/customary courts

Legislative Branch

The legislative structure consists of unicameral Note: note: the early parliamentary elections in 2023 were the first to be held under President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El GHAZOUANI, elected in 2019 in the first peaceful transition of power; the elections followed the agreement between the government and parties in September 2022 to renew the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) and hold the elections in the first semester of 2023 for climatic and logistical reasons

Citizenship and Suffrage

Citizenship by Birth: no Citizenship by Descent: at least one parent must be a citizen of Mauritania Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Historical Background

The Amazigh and Bafour people were among the earliest settlers in what is now Mauritania and among the first in recorded history to convert from a nomadic to agricultural lifestyle. These groups account for roughly one third of Mauritania’s ethnic makeup. The remainder of Mauritania’s ethnic groups derive from Sub-Saharan ethnic groups originating mainly from the Senegal River Valley, including descendants of former enslaved peoples.

This article provides a summary of the legal system and governmental structure of Mauritania based on the CIA World Factbook. The Factbook is a public domain publication of the United States Central Intelligence Agency.