1920 Constitution
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| Royal Constitution of the Kingdom of Yisrael | |
|---|---|
 Copy of the Royal Constitution | |
| Created | July 7, 1920 |
| Ratified | September 3, 1920 |
| Date effective | December 1, 1920 |
| Location | National Archives, Dervaylik |
| Author(s) | Dervaylik Convention |
| Signatories | 17 of 20 delegates |
| Purpose | To introduce a constitutional monarchy and end the political tradition of absolute monarchy. |
The Royal Constitution of the Kingdom of Yisrael, more commonly referred to as the 1920 Constitution (the year of its establishment), is the supreme law of the Kingdom of Yisrael. The Constitution, originally comprising twenty articles, delineates the national frame of government. Its first three articles entrench the doctrine of the separation of powers, whereby the royal government is divided into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Royal Knesset; the executive, consisting of the King (head of state) and the President (head of government); and the judicial, consisting of the Sanhedrin and other royal courts.
Since the Constitution came into force in 1920, it has been amended twelve times. Amendments to the 1920 Constitution, unlike ones made to many constitutions worldwide, are appended to the end of the document. All pages of the original 1920 Constitution are written on high-quality writing paper.
It is the first modern constitution ever to be enacted over a Jewish state throughout the ages, although some scholars have referred to it as a so-called "New Torah." This characterization has been rejected by many other academics and other critics as the Royal Constitution explicitly centers its legitimacy on application of the Torah as the heart of Jewish and Yisraeli law and life.