Legal System of Sao Tome and Principe

Sao Tome and Principe is located in Africa. It is geographically situated in central africa, islands in the gulf of guinea, just north of the equator, west of gabon. The country achieved independence on 12 july 1975 (from portugal). The capital is Sao Tome.

Government Overview

Government Type: semi-presidential republic Chief of State: President Carlos Manuel VILA NOVA (since 2 October 2021) Head of Government: Prime Minister Américo d’Oliveira DOS RAMOS (since 12 January 2025) Cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president Administrative Divisions: 6 districts (distritos, singular - distrito), 1 autonomous region* (regiao autonoma); Agua Grande, Cantagalo, Caue, Lemba, Lobata, Me-Zochi, Principe* National Holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1975) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal System

The legal system of Sao Tome and Principe is described as mixed system of civil law based on the Portuguese model and customary law International Law: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Constitutional Framework

The constitution has the following history: approved 5 November 1975 Amendment Process: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; the Assembly can propose to the president of the republic that an amendment be submitted to a referendum

Judicial Branch

Highest Court(s): Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal Justica (consists of 5 judges); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 5 judges, 3 of whom are from the Supreme Court) Judge Selection: Supreme Court judges appointed by the National Assembly; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly for 5-year terms Subordinate Courts: Court of First Instance; Audit Court

Legislative Branch

The legislative structure consists of unicameral

Citizenship and Suffrage

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

Historical Background

Portugal discovered and colonized the uninhabited Sao Tome and Principe islands in the late 15th century, setting up a sugar-based economy that gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century -- all grown with African slave labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. While independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s.

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