{"faq_id":"2e2f029b-cacf-46dc-bfff-d60257b8db3d","code":"myths-law-vs-constitution","kind":"faq","canonical_slug":"myths-law-vs-constitution","section":{"id":9,"code":"myths","slug":"myths","title":"Myths"},"lang":"en","question":"Myth: 'If the Law Says So, the Constitution Doesn't Matter'","short_answer":"Myth: 'The law is the law – the Constitution has nothing to do with it.' Fact: the Constitution stands above any law. If a law contradicts the Constitution, it has no legal force. The Constitutional Court strikes down unconstitutional provisions on any citizen's application – free of charge via eGov.","blocks":{"answer_html":"<h2>The myth</h2>\n<p>&quot;An official says: 'I am entitled to do this under the law.' So everything is lawful – what does the Constitution have to do with it?&quot;</p>\n<h2>The facts</h2>\n<p>The Constitution stands above any law. This is the principle of <strong>supremacy</strong>.</p>\n<p><strong>The hierarchy is simple:</strong></p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Constitution</strong> – the supreme legal act</li>\n<li><strong>Constitutional laws</strong> – subordinate to the Constitution</li>\n<li><strong>Ordinary laws</strong> – subordinate to both the Constitution and constitutional laws</li>\n<li><strong>Decrees, resolutions, orders</strong> – subordinate to everything above</li>\n</ol>\n<p>If an ordinary law contradicts the Constitution, it <strong>has no legal force</strong>.</p>\n<p><strong>How this works:</strong></p>\n<ol>\n<li>Parliament adopts a law</li>\n<li>The law contains a provision that violates a constitutional right</li>\n<li>A citizen applies to the Constitutional Court (free of charge, via eGov)</li>\n<li>The CC reviews the law</li>\n<li>If the contradiction is confirmed, the provision loses its force <strong>for all citizens</strong>, not only for the applicant</li>\n</ol>\n<p><strong>Three real-life situations:</strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li>An official says: &quot;I am entitled to do this under the law&quot; → if the law contradicts the Constitution, he is not</li>\n<li>An employer cites an internal order → an order ranks below the Constitution</li>\n<li>A police officer cites an instruction → the instruction ranks below the law, and the law ranks below the Constitution</li>\n</ul>\n<p><strong>What to do:</strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li>In court – cite the specific article of the Constitution directly</li>\n<li>At the CC – ask it to review the constitutionality of the law (free of charge, no lawyer required)</li>\n<li>At the Prosecutor's Office – report the application of an unconstitutional provision</li>\n</ul>\n<h2>Why this myth exists</h2>\n<p>Decades of practice in which &quot;the law is the law&quot; meant &quot;don't argue with the state.&quot; The Constitutional Council (before 2023) was inaccessible to citizens. The Constitutional Court was restored in 2023 and accepts applications from anyone. But the habit of &quot;not arguing with the law&quot; is still stronger than knowledge of one's rights.</p>\n","facts_html":"<ul>\n<li>The Constitution stands above any law, decree, and order</li>\n<li>An unconstitutional law loses its force after a CC ruling – for all citizens</li>\n<li>CC applications are free, submitted via eGov; no lawyer required</li>\n<li>The Constitutional Court has been operating since 2023 and has already struck down unconstitutional provisions</li>\n</ul>\n","what_not_change_html":"","where_detailed_html":"","misconceptions_html":""},"updated_at":"2026-06-16T00:00:00+00:00","article_refs":[{"number":5,"title":"Applicable Law and Constitutional Supremacy"},{"number":60,"title":"Subjects of Legislative Regulation"},{"number":61,"title":"Laws and Constitutional Laws"},{"number":90,"title":"Local Normative Acts"}],"entity_links":[{"type":"constitutional_article","number":5,"label":"Article 5","title":"Applicable Law and Constitutional Supremacy","href":"/full-text?lang=en#article-5"},{"type":"constitutional_article","number":60,"label":"Article 60","title":"Subjects of Legislative Regulation","href":"/full-text?lang=en#article-60"},{"type":"constitutional_article","number":61,"label":"Article 61","title":"Laws and Constitutional Laws","href":"/full-text?lang=en#article-61"},{"type":"constitutional_article","number":90,"label":"Article 90","title":"Local Normative Acts","href":"/full-text?lang=en#article-90"}],"source_records":[{"id":"constitution-2026-official","type":"constitution","url":"https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/K2600000000","title":"Official publication of the 2026 Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan","publisher":"Adilet Legal Information System","checked_at":"2026-07-16","reviewed_at":"2026-07-19","checked_at_label":"16 July 2026"},{"id":"constitutional-court-law","type":"constitutional_law","url":"https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/ksrk/documents/details/395513?lang=ru","title":"Constitutional Law on the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan","publisher":"Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan","checked_at":"2026-07-16","reviewed_at":"2026-07-19","checked_at_label":"16 July 2026"}],"verified_claims":[],"implementation_status":null,"source_schema_records":[{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Official publication of the 2026 Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan","url":"https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/K2600000000","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Adilet Legal Information System"},"dateModified":"2026-07-16"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Constitutional Law on the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan","url":"https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/ksrk/documents/details/395513?lang=ru","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan"},"dateModified":"2026-07-16"}],"source_citation_urls":["https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/K2600000000","https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/ksrk/documents/details/395513?lang=ru"]}