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20. All Cubans are equal before the law. The Republic recognises neither personal exemptions nor privileges.

All discrimination by reason of sex, race, colour, class, or any other that detracts from human dignity, is declared unlawful and punishable.

The penalties incurred by those who violate this precept shall be established by law.

21. Penal laws shall have retroactive effect when they are favourable to the delinquent. There are excluded from this benefit, in cases where fraud was involved, public officers or employees who commit a crime in the exercise of their office, and those responsible for electoral crimes and crimes against the individual rights guaranteed by this Constitution. Those who commit these crimes shall have applied to them the penalties and qualifications according to the law in force at the time the crime is committed.

22. No other laws shall have retroactive effect, unless the law itself so determines for reasons of public order, of social utility or national necessity, expressly specified in the law, which must have a favourable vote of two-thirds of the total number of members of each co-legislative body. If the grounds for retroactivity are impugned in proceedings regarding unconstitutional matters, it shall be the Court of Constitutional and Social Guarantees that shall decide thereon, and it cannot, for technical reasons or any other motive whatever, refrain from doing so.

In every case the law itself must establish the degree, manner and form in which indemnity will be paid for the damages, if any, which the retroactivity causes to rights legitimately acquired in accordance with prior legislation.

A law approved in accordance with this Article shall not be valid if it produces effects contrary to the provisions of Article 24 of this Constitution.

23. Obligations of a civil character arising from contracts or from other acts or omissions producing them cannot be annulled or altered by either the legislative or the executive branch, and laws can consequently not have retroactive effect with respect to said obligations. The exercise of the rights of