Pazakonshëm

Pazakonshëm is an Albanian adjective used in legal and political discourse to describe acts, laws, or measures that are not in accordance with the constitution. It denotes that something contravenes constitutional provisions, rights, or principles, and thus cannot stand within a constitutional order.

Etymology and meaning: The term derives from pa- meaning "without" and zakon meaning "law," with the suffix -shëm forming an adjective. In common usage, it labels legislation, executive decrees, or state actions as lacking conformity with the constitution; while sometimes extended in everyday language to mean "unlawful" in a broader sense, its most precise use is for constitutional incompatibility.

Usage: Pazakonshëm appears in legal texts, political analysis, and media when assessing whether a measure respects constitutional constraints. A pazakonshëm act may be subject to judicial review, invalidation by a constitutional court, or revision by the legislature to restore compatibility with the constitution.

See also: Kushtetutë (Constitution), Gjykata Kushtetuese (Constitutional Court), Kushtetues (constitutional), Ligj (Law).

Examples: A proposed reform was criticized as pazakonshëm because it would undermine fundamental rights. A government decree can be declared pazakonshëm if it exceeds the powers granted by the constitution and infringes core principles of separation of powers.