Mali

The Constitution of the Republic of Mali was adopted on January 12, 1992 and was last amended in 1999. It specifies the fundamental rights and duties of every citizen and declares that the sovereignty lies with the citizens.

The Republic of Mali is a presidential representative democratic republic with a multi-party system. Under the current constitution, the President is the head of state and government. The President appoints the Prime Minister and, with his advice, the rest of the Council of Ministers. The National Assembly is a unicameral house composed of 160 legislators, who are elected for five years by direct universal suffrage. The legislative power is granted to the National Assembly and the government. The judicial power vests in the Supreme Court as the highest court of the Republic. Other higher courts include the Constitutional Court and the High Court of Justice. The judicial and legal framework is based on French civil law and customary law.

The Constitution does not contain specific provisions relating to intellectual property. Article 8 of the Constitution guarantees the freedom of artistic and cultural creativity. Furthermore, Article 13 protects the rights of citizens to private property.