The
Constitution of the State of Hawaiʻi refers to various legal documents throughout the history of the
Hawaiian Islands that defined the fundamental principles of authority and governance within its sphere of jurisdiction. Numerous
constitutions have been promulgated for the
Kingdom of Hawaii,
Republic of Hawaii,
Territory of Hawaii and
State of Hawaii. The first constitution was drafted by
Kamehameha III. A few constitutions have become historically infamous like the
Bayonet Constitution of 1887 which stripped
native Hawaiians of their rights in favor of American
plantation owners and the constitution of 1893 that was never officially promulgated but instead inflamed businessmen to accelerate their plans for the overthrow of the monarchy. Other documents became famous for more positive reasons such as the constitution of 1978 that created the
Office of Hawaiian Affairs and declared the
Hawaiian language to be one of the official languages of the state. The premier authority of enforcement of the Constitution of Hawaii has been historically given to the various supreme courts that had reigned over the Hawaiian Islands. Currently, that duty rests in the hands of the
Hawaii State Supreme Court.