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Promulgation is the act of formally proclaiming or declaring a new statutory or administrative law after its enactment. In some jurisdictions, this additional step is necessary before the law can take effect.

After a new law is approved, it is announced to the public through the publication of the text of the law in a government periodical and/or on official websites. National laws of extraordinary importance to the public may be announced by the head of state on a national broadcast. Local laws are usually announced in the local newspapers and published in bulletins or compendia of municipal regulations.[citation needed]

Jurisdiction-specific details[edit]

Bills are enacted by the President of Armenia and published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Armenia.
Statutes are promulgated by the King of the Belgians[1] and published in the Belgian Official Journal. Decrees and Ordinances are promulgated by the different Regional and Community governments and published in the Belgian Official Journal.
Commonwealth realms
Promulgation is performed when granting Royal Assent.
The President of France promulgates law (he may ask Parliament to reconsider the law, but only once).
The President of Germany has the duty to duly promulgate and issue laws, unless the President deem them "evidently unconstitutional." The question to what degree they must be convinced of the constitutional violation to deny promulgation is hotly debated.
Hong Kong
Bills have to be signed and promulgated by the Chief Executive, and be announced by the government by gazetting.
Laws have to be promulgated by the President of the Republic and must be published afterwards in the Magyar Közlöny, which is the national gazette.
Republic of Ireland
All laws passed by the Oireachtas are promulgated by a notice in the Iris Oifigiúil published by the President of Ireland, as required by the Constitution of Ireland.[2]
Isle of Man
By ancient custom an Act of Tynwald, the legislature of the island, did not come into force until it had been "promulgated" at an open-air sitting of Tynwald, usually held on Tynwald Hill at St John's on St John's Day (24 June) but since the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1753[3] on 5 July (or on the following Monday if 5 July is a Saturday or Sunday[4]). Promulgation originally consisted of the reading of the Act in English and Manx, but after 1865 the reading of the title of the Act and a summary of each section were sufficient.[5] This was reduced in 1895 to the titles and a memorandum of the object and purport of the Act,[6] and since 1988 only the short title and a summary of the long title have been read.[7] An emergency procedure enabling an Act to come into force on Royal Assent being announced at an ordinary sitting of Tynwald, subject to its being promulgated within 12 months, was introduced in 1916;[8] since 1976 this has been the 'default' procedure,[9] and since 1988 an Act ceases to have effect unless promulgated within 18 months after Royal Assent is announced in Tynwald.[10]
The President of the Republic promulgates law. The President remand a law to the Chambers of Parliament, with an explanation, and ask for reconsideration—but must promulgate the law if it is re-approved without modification.
The Emperor of Japan promulgates laws passed by the Diet, but the Emperor cannot refuse to promulgate a law.
Promulgation is performed by the President.
The bills have to approved by the Legislative Assembly, signed and promulgated by the Chief Executive. They must be published in the Official Gazette Boletim Oficial.
When a bill is approved by the House of Representatives of Malta, it is presented to the President of Malta for his assent. According to constitutional obligation he shall without delay signify that he assents and hence promulgate the said Bill into a Parliamentary Act. The Parliamentary Act is then published in the Malta Government Gazette, and thus comes into force.
A law is approved by Congress, signed by the President, and published in the Official Daily of the Federation (Spanish: Diario Oficial de la Federación), or DOF. Each law in its Transitional Articles (Transitorios) states when the Law takes effect (entra en vigor) and, when applicable, what law it cancels and replaces. Regulations are prepared by the Executive branch in order to establish the administration of the Law. They are signed by the President and published in the DOF.
Laws have to be promulgated by the President of the Republic in the Dziennik Ustaw journal. The President may refer to the Constitutional Tribunal; if he has not made reference, he may refer the bill to the Sejm (veto) for further reconsideration. The bill shall then be repassed only by a qualified majority of three-fifths in the presence of at least half of the statutory number of Deputies.
Roman Catholic Church
A canon law issued by the Pope or an ecumenical council is promulgated when it is published in Acta Apostolicae Sedis, and by default has the force of law three months after promulgation.[11] Laws issued by bishops and particular councils are promulgated in various ways but by default take effect one month after promulgation.[12]
Bills have to be promulgated by the President and afterwards published in the official gazette, Monitorul Oficial.
Laws and secondary legislation are promulgated by the Government of Sweden and are published in the Swedish Code of Statutes (Swedish: Svensk författningssamling).
Bills are promulgated by President of the Republic and published in the official gazette, Resmi Gazete.
United States of America
Although the United States Constitution does not refer to promulgation as such, a U.S. law takes effect once it is signed by the President of the United States, or if Congress overrides a presidential veto. In United States administrative law, a regulation may be said to be formally promulgated by an administrative agency when it appears in the Federal Register and after the public-comment period concludes.


  1. ^ Article 109 of the Belgian Constitution
  2. ^ Articles 13.3.2° and 25.4.2°
  3. ^ Gregorian Calendar Act 1753 Statutes of the Isle of Man I, Douglas, 1883, pp. 258–267 
  4. ^ Statutory Time etc. Act 1883 Statutes of the Isle of Man V, p. 209 
  5. ^ Acts of Tynwald (Promulgation) Act 1865 Statutes of the Isle of Man III, p. 176 
  6. ^ An Act to further alter the mode of promulgating Acts of Tynwald Statutes of the Isle of Man VII, p. 1 
  7. ^ Promulgation Act 1988 sections 2, 3 and 5
  8. ^ Acts of Tynwald (Emergency Promulgation) Act 1916 Statutes of the Isle of Man X, p. 31 
  9. ^ Interpretation Act 1976 section 10
  10. ^ Promulgation Act 1988 section 3
  11. ^ can. 8 §1, CIC, 1983
  12. ^ can. 8 §2, CIC, 1983