Henrician Articles

The Henrician Articles or King Henry's Articles (Polish: Artykuły henrykowskie; Lithuanian: Henriko artikulai; Latin: Articuli Henriciani) were a constitution in the form of a permanent agreement made in 1573 between the "Polish nation" (the szlachta, or nobility, of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth) and a newly-elected Polish king and Lithuanian grand duke upon his election to the throne. The Articles were the primary constitutional law of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

While pacta conventa (a sort of manifesto or government programme) comprised only the personal undertakings of the king-elect, the Henrician Articles were a permanent constitutional law which all King-Grand Dukes were obligated to swear to uphold.

The articles functioned essentially are the first constitution for Poland-Lithuania until the Constitution of 3 May 1791.

Statutes and Constitutions of Lithuania
Part of a series on the politics and government of Lithuania

Neminem captivabimus acts, 1430 Casimir's Code, 1468 The First Statute, 1529 The Second Statute, 1566 Henrician Articles, 1573 The Third Statute, 1588 Constitution of 3 May 1791 Mutual Pledge of the Two Nations, 1791 Temporary Constitutions of 1918-1920 Constitution of 1922 Klaipėda Convention, 1924 Constitution of 1928 Constitution of 1938 Lithuanian SSR Constitution of 1940 Partisans Declaration of 1949 Lithuanian SSR Constitution of 1978 Temporary Basic Law of 1990 Current Constitution, 1992