Impeachment does not in itself remove the official definitively from office; it is similar to an indictment in criminal law, and thus it is essentially the statement of charges against the official.
Once impeached, an individual must then face the possibility of conviction on the charges by a legislative vote, and a judgment which convicts the official on the articles of impeachment entails the official’s definitive removal from office.
Impeachment exists under constitutional law in many countries around the world, including Brazil, France, India, Ireland, the Philippines, Russia, South Korea, and the United States.
