Country report, gender equality : how are EU rules transposed into national law? : Liechtenstein 2015

The national legal system in Liechtenstein is - corresponding to its Constitution - a constitutional hereditary monarchy based on democracy and parliamentary government. Parliament (Landtag) is the representative body of the nation. Its main task is to pass legislation. For a law to enter into force, Parliament has to approve it, the sovereign has to give his consent and the Prime Minister has to countersign it. Finally it has to be published in the State Gazette (Landesgesetzblatt). Characteristic of direct democracy in Liechtenstein is the fact that each law that has not been declared as urgent by Parliament and every treaty according to international law are subject to a facultative referendum. The main concepts of EU gender equality law have been implemented in Liechtenstein by the Gender Equality Act (Gleichstellungsgesetz, GLG). The court system in Liechtenstein is rather simple and small. Jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters is in first instance with the County Court (Landgericht), in second instance with the Appelate Court (Obergericht) and the court of last resort is called Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof). Courts of public law are the Higher Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof) and the Constitutional Court (Staatsgerichtshof). All courts are based in Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein.