Sretenjski Ustav

(Constitution of the Presentation), the first Serbian constitution. The Serbian Skupština (national assembly) adopted the Sretenjski Ustav on Feb. 2,1835, which, according to the church calendar, is the Feast of the Presentation, or Candlemas (sretenje); hence the name of the constitution. The constitution was drafted by D. Davidovic, secretary of Prince Milos Obrenovic, who modeled it after Western European bourgeois constitutions, chiefly the constitution of France. It consisted of 14 chapters and 14 articles. Besides instituting the State Council, which limited the authority of the prince, and the National Skupstina, which consisted of 100 deputies, the Sretenjski Ustav guaranteed the equality of citizens before the law and the inviolability of the individual and property. The constitution was abrogated by Miloš Obrenović on Mar. 17,1835.