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Constitutional Review in Central and Eastern Europe: Judicial-Legislative Relations in Comparative Perspective
by Kálmán PóczaRecent confrontations between constitutional courts and parliamentary majorities in several European countries have attracted international interest in the relationship between the judiciary and the legislature.Some political actors have argued that courts have assumed too much power and politics has been extremely judicialized. This volume accurately and systematically examines the extent to which this aggregation of power may have constrained the dominant political actors’ room for manoeuvre. To explore the diversity and measure the strength of judicial decisions, the contributors to this work have elaborated a methodology to give a more nuanced picture of the practice of constitutional adjudication in Central and Eastern Europe between 1990 and 2020. The work opens with an assessment of the existing literature on empirical analysis of judicial decisions with a special focus on the Central and Eastern European region, and a short summary of the methodology of the project. This is followed by ten country studies and a concluding chapter providing a comprehensive comparative analysis of the results. A further nine countries are explored in the counterpart volume to this book: Constitutional Review in Western Europe: Judicial-Legislative Relations in Comparative Perspective.The collection will be an invaluable resource for those working in the areas of empirical legal research and comparative constitutional law, as well as political scientists interested in judicial politics.Chapters 1, 5 and 12 of this book are freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.
Constitutional Review in Western Europe: Judicial-Legislative Relations in Comparative Perspective
by Kálmán PóczaRecent confrontations between constitutional courts and parliamentary majorities in several European countries have attracted international interest in the relationship between the judiciary and the legislature.Some political actors have argued that courts have assumed too much power and politics has been extremely judicialized. Yet the extent to which this aggregation of power may have constrained the dominant political actors’ room for manoeuvre has never been examined accurately and systematically. This volume fills this gap in the literature. To explore the diversity and measure the strength of judicial decisions, the authors have elaborated a new methodology that is intended to give a more nuanced picture of the practice of constitutional adjudication in Europe. The work opens with an assessment of the existing literature on empirical analysis of judicial decisions with a special focus on Western Europe and a short summary of the methodology of the project. This is followed by 11 country studies and a concluding chapter providing a comprehensive comparative analysis of the results. A further ten countries are explored in the counterpart volume to this book: Constitutional Review in Central and Eastern Europe: Judicial-Legislative Relations in Comparative Perspective.The collection will be an invaluable resource for those working in the areas of empirical legal research and comparative constitutional law, as well as political scientists interested in judicial politics.
Constitutional Review under the Uk Human Rights Act
by Aileen KavanaghUnder the Human Rights Act, British courts are for the first time empowered to review primary legislation for compliance with a codified set of fundamental rights. In this book, Aileen Kavanagh argues that the HRA gives judges strong powers of constitutional review, similar to those exercised by the courts under an entrenched Bill of Rights. The aim of the book is to subject the leading case-law under the HRA to critical scrutiny, whilst remaining sensitive to the deeper constitutional, political and theoretical questions which underpin it. Such questions include the idea of judicial deference, the constitutional status of the HRA, the principle of parliamentary sovereignty and the constitutional division of labour between Parliament and the courts. The book closes with a sustained defence of the legitimacy of constitutional review in a democracy, thus providing a powerful rejoinder to those who are sceptical about judicial power under the HRA.
Constitutional Revolution
by Gary Jeffrey Jacobsohn Yaniv RoznaiFew terms in political theory are as overused, and yet as under-theorized, as constitutional revolution. In this book, Gary Jacobsohn and Yaniv Roznai argue that the most widely accepted accounts of constitutional transformation, such as those found in the work of Hans Kelsen, Hannah Arendt, and Bruce Ackerman, fail adequately to explain radical change. For example, a “constitutional moment” may or may not accompany the onset of a constitutional revolution. The consolidation of revolutionary aspirations may take place over an extended period. The “moment” may have been under way for decades—or there may be no such moment at all. On the other hand, seemingly radical breaks in a constitutional regime actually may bring very little change in constitutional practice and identity. Constructing a clarifying lens for comprehending the many ways in which constitutional revolutions occur, the authors seek to capture the essence of what happens when constitutional paradigms change.
Constitutional Revolutions: Pragmatism and the Role of Judicial Review in American Constitutionalism
by Robert Justin LipkinIn Constitutional Revolutions Robert Justin Lipkin radically rethinks modern constitutional jurisprudence, challenging the traditional view of constitutional change as solely an extension or transformation of prior law. He instead argues for the idea of "constitutional revolutions"--landmark decisions that are revolutionary because they are not generated from legal precedent and because they occur when the Constitution fails to provide effective procedures for accommodating a needed change. According to Lipkin, U. S. constitutional law is driven by these revolutionary judgments that translate political and cultural attitudes into formal judicial decisions. Drawing on ethical theory, philosophy of science, and constitutional theory, Lipkin provides a progressive, postmodern, and pragmatic theory of constitutional law that justifies the critical role played by the judiciary in American democracy. Judicial review, he claims, operates as a mechanism to allow "second thought," or principled reflection, on the values of the wider culture. Without this revolutionary function, American democracy would be left without an effective institutional means to formulate the community's considered judgments about good government and individual rights. Although judicial review is not the only forum for protecting this dimension of constitutional democracy, Lipkin maintains that we would be wise not to abandon judicial review unless a viable alternative emerges. Judges, lawyers, law professors, and constitutional scholars will find this book a valuable resource.
Constitutional Rights -What They Are and What They Ought to Be (Law and Philosophy Library #115)
by Carl WellmanThis work explains the nature of constitutional rights. It does so by means of an analysis of the nature of law in general, the nature of constitutions, and the nature of rights. It looks in detail at several aspects of constitutional law, rights and institutions, as well as aspects related to public officials, private persons and associations. In addition, the book critically examines a considerable number of debates about whether some actual or proposed constitutional rights ought to be established and maintained in the United States constitution. It then identifies the kinds of reasons that justify or fail to justify constitutional rights. The book advances the debate and makes a contribution to the theory and the practice of constitutional rights.
Constitutional Rights of Prisoners
by John W. PalmerThis text details critical information on all aspects of prison litigation, including information on trial and appeal, conditions of isolated confinement, access to the courts, parole, right to medical aid and liabilities of prison officials. Highlighted topics include application of the Americans with Disabilities Act to prisons, protection given to HIV-positive inmates, and actions of the Supreme Court and Congress to stem the flow of prison litigation. Part II contains Judicial Decisions Relating to Part I.
Constitutional Rights of Prisoners
by John W. Palmer Shaun M. GannThis updated tenth edition covers all aspects of prisoners’ rights, including an overview of the judicial system and constitutional law and explanation of specific constitutional issues regarding correctional populations. It also discusses the federal statutes that affect correctional administration and inmates’ rights to bring litigation. Accessible and reader-friendly, it provides a practical understanding of how constitutional law affects the day-to-day issues of prisons, jails, and community corrections programs. The tenth edition includes a thorough update of relevant case law, and new chapters are included that deliver the latest developments on Search, Seizure, and Privacy, Juveniles and Youthful Offenders, and the Death Penalty. Part II contains the Supreme Court syllabi for the significant Court cases relating to the concepts covered. This updated edition is appropriate as a primary text for undergraduate or graduate-level correctional law and prisoner rights courses within Criminal Justice, Criminology, and Sociology departments. It is also an invaluable reference tool for law students and correctional agencies.
Constitutional Self-government
by Christopher L. EisgruberMost of us regard the Constitution as the foundation of American democracy. How, then, are we to understand the restrictions that it imposes on legislatures and voters? Why, for example, does the Constitution allow unelected judges to exercise so much power? And why is this centuries-old document so difficult to amend? In short, how can we call ourselves a democracy when we are bound by an entrenched, and sometimes counter-majoritarian, constitution? In Constitutional Self-Government, Christopher Eisgruber focuses directly on the Constitution's seemingly undemocratic features. Whereas other scholars have tried to reconcile these features with majority rule, or simply acknowledged them as necessary limits on democracy, Eisgruber argues that constitutionalism is best regarded not as a constraint upon self-government, but as a crucial ingredient in a complex, non-majoritarian form of democracy. In an original and provocative argument, he contends that legislatures and elections provide only an incomplete representation of the people, and he claims that the Supreme Court should be regarded as another of the institutions able to speak for Americans about justice. At a pivotal moment of worldwide interest in judicial review and renewed national controversy over the Supreme Court's role in politics, Constitutional Self-Government ingeniously locates the Constitution's value in its capacity to sustain an array of institutions that render self-government meaningful for a large and diverse people.
Constitutional Sentiments
by András SajóThe Constitution was written to shape human behavior and affairs, and it does so by appealing to people’s hearts, not only their minds. An interdisciplinary analysis sheds new light on the emotions that underlie constitutional law, with many cogent examples.
Constitutional Symmetry: Judging in a Divided Republic
by Zachary S. PriceIntense political disagreements over constitutional law and the Supreme Court have divided America. Constitutional Symmetry offers a fresh perspective by urging judges to make decisions that work 'symmetrically' across major partisan and ideological divides instead of favoring one partisan coalition over the other. Zachary S. Price argues this approach will aid the political process, align with the role morality of judging, and advance the framers' hopes for the Constitution. Chapters explore how this approach can encourage new solutions to fraught debates over free speech, religious liberty, separation of powers, federalism, affirmative action, gun rights, abortion, parental rights, and the law of democracy. Timely and innovative, this book is must-read for anyone seeking to understand the sources and implications of constitutional polarization in the contemporary United States.
Constitutional Theocracy
by Ran HirschlAt the intersection of two sweeping global trends—the rise of popular support for principles of theocratic governance and the spread of constitutionalism and judicial review—a new legal order has emerged: constitutional theocracy. It enshrines religion and its interlocutors as “a” or “the” source of legislation, and at the same time adheres to core ideals and practices of modern constitutionalism. A unique hybrid of apparently conflicting worldviews, values, and interests, constitutional theocracies thus offer an ideal setting—a “living laboratory” as it were—for studying constitutional law as a form of politics by other means. In this book, Ran Hirschl undertakes a rigorous comparative analysis of religion-and-state jurisprudence from dozens of countries worldwide to explore the evolving role of constitutional law and courts in a non-secularist world. Counterintuitively, Hirschl argues that the constitutional enshrinement of religion is a rational, prudent strategy that allows opponents of theocratic governance to talk the religious talk without walking most of what they regard as theocracy’s unappealing, costly walk. Many of the jurisdictional, enforcement, and cooptation advantages that gave religious legal regimes an edge in the pre-modern era, are now aiding the modern state and its laws in its effort to contain religion. The “constitutional” in a constitutional theocracy thus fulfills the same restricting function it carries out in a constitutional democracy: it brings theocratic governance under check and assigns to constitutional law and courts the task of a bulwark against the threat of radical religion.
Constitutional Theory
by Carl SchmittCarl Schmitt's magnum opus, Constitutional Theory, was originally published in 1928 and has been in print in German ever since. This volume makes Schmitt's masterpiece of comparative constitutionalism available to English-language readers for the first time. Schmitt is considered by many to be one of the most original--and, because of his collaboration with the Nazi party, controversial--political thinkers of the twentieth century. In Constitutional Theory, Schmitt provides a highly distinctive and provocative interpretation of the Weimar Constitution. At the center of this interpretation lies his famous argument that the legitimacy of a constitution depends on a sovereign decision of the people. In addition to being subject to long-standing debate among legal and political theorists in Western Europe and the United States, this theory of constitution-making as decision has profoundly influenced constitutional theorists and designers in Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Constitutional Theory is a significant departure from Schmitt's more polemical Weimar-era works not just in terms of its moderate tone. Through a comparative history of constitutional government in Europe and the United States, Schmitt develops an understanding of liberal constitutionalism that makes room for a strong, independent state. This edition includes an introduction by Jeffrey Seitzer and Christopher Thornhill outlining the cultural, intellectual, and political contexts in which Schmitt wrote Constitutional Theory; they point out what is distinctive about the work, examine its reception in the postwar era, and consider its larger theoretical ramifications. This volume also contains extensive editorial notes and a translation of the Weimar Constitution.
Constitutional Theory: Schmitt After Derrida (Birkbeck Law Press)
by Jacques de VilleThis book advances a new reading of the central works of Carl Schmitt and, in so doing, rethinks the primary concepts of constitutional theory. In this book, Jacques de Ville engages in a close analysis of a number of Schmitt’s texts, including Dictatorship (1921), The Concept of the Political (1927), Constitutional Theory (1928), Land and Sea (1942), Ex Captivitate Salus (1950), The Nomos of the Earth (1950) and The Theory of the Partisan (1963). This engagement takes place from the perspective of constitutional theory and focuses specifically on concepts or themes such as sovereignty, the state, the political, constituent power, democracy, representation, the constitution and human rights. The book seeks to rethink the structure of these concepts in line with Derrida’s analysis of Schmitt’s texts on the concept of the political in Politics of Friendship (1993). This happens by way of an analysis of Derrida’s engagement with Freud and other psychoanalysts. Although the main focus in the book is on Schmitt’s texts, it further examines two texts of Derrida (Khōra (1993) and Fors: The Anglish Words of Nicholas Abraham and Maria Torok (1976)), by reading these alongside Schmitt’s own reflections on the positive concept of the constitution.
Constitutional Torts
by Fred Smith Sheldon H. Nahmod Michael L. WellsThis casebook emphasizes important circuit court decisions together with relevant Supreme Court case law. This enables students to see how principles articulated in Supreme Court decisions are implemented by lower courts. Constitutional Torts also addresses affirmative duties, constitutional tort actions in state courts, and attorney's fees. Further, this book is organized around the statutory language of section 1983, thereby driving home the crucial distinction between prima facie cases and constitutional tort immunities and defenses. The fifth edition covers Supreme Court decisions from the past several years, including Ziglar v. Abbasi (2017) and Hernandez v. Mesa (2020) (chapter 1), Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck (2019) (chapter 2), Kingsley v. Hendrickson (2015), Knick v. Township of Scott (2019), and Manuel v. City of Joliet (2017) (chapter 3), Armstrong v. Exceptional Child Center (2015) (chapter 4), Nieves v. Bartlett (2019), Lozman v. Riviera Beach (2018), and Los Angeles v. Mendez (2017) (chapter 6), Ziglar, supra, White v. Pauly (2017), Hernandez v. Mesa (2017), District of Columbia v. Wesby (2018), Kisela v. Hughes (2018), and City of Escondido v. Emmons (2019) (chapter 8), McDonough v. Smith (2019) and Knick, supra (chapter 10), Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. v. Haeger (2017) (chapter 12). As always, the circuit courts have been active as well, and we have revised the notes to take account of significant recent developments. Constitutional Torts studies circuit and district court decisions as crucial to understanding the developing law of Section 1983, because (a) they show how general principles of law pronounced by the Supreme Court are actually applied; (b) the Supreme Court rarely visits some important aspects of the doctrine; and (c) in this dynamic area of the law, the lower courts are the first to identify new issues and new ways of approaching old problems. At the same time, the materials continue to emphasize the "tort" aspects of Section 1983 litigation, especially with regard to affirmative duties, causation, official immunity, and damages. These materials illuminate both the similarities and differences between constitutional torts and analogous principles developed in the common law tort setting. By studying both tort and constitutional principles, students learn how to argue for and against the application of common law tort principles to constitutional tort issues, and will come to understand both the theoretical and practical consequences of the constitutional underpinnings of the litigation. Constitutional Torts provides a thorough treatment of compensatory damages, punitive damages, injunctive relief, and attorneys' fees. These materials not only explain the basic doctrine, but explore their strategic implications on the conduct of litigation.
Constitutional Transition and the Travail of Judges: The Courts of South Korea
by Marie Seong-Hak KimThis book looks at the history of the courts in South Korea from 1945 to the contemporary period. It sets forth the evolution of the judicial process and jurisprudence in the context of the nation's political and constitutional transitions. The focus is on constitutional authoritarianism in the 1970s under President Park Chung Hee, when judges faced a positivist crisis as their capacity to protect individual rights and restrain the government was impaired by the constitutional language. Caught between the contending duties of implementing the law and pursuing justice, the judges adhered to formal legal rationality and preserved the fundamental constitutional order, which eventually proved essential in the nation's democratization in the late 1980s. Addressing both democratic and authoritarian rule of law, this volume prompts fresh debate on judicial restraint and engagement in comparative perspectives.
Constitutional Triumphs, Constitutional Disappointments: A Critical Assessment Of The 1996 South African Constitution's Influence
by Theunis Roux Rosalind DixonThe 1996 South African Constitution was promulgated on 18th December 1996 and came into effect on 4th February 1997. Its aspirational provisions promised to transform South Africa's economy and society along non-racial and egalitarian lines. <P><P>Following the twentieth anniversary of its enactment, this book, co-edited by Rosalind Dixon and Theunis Roux, examines the triumphs and disappointments of the Constitution. It explains the arguments in favor of the Constitution being replaced with a more authentically African document, untainted by the necessity to compromise with ruling interests predominant at the end of apartheid. Others believe it remains a landmark attempt to create a society based on social, economic, and political rights for all citizens, and that its true implementation has yet to be achieved. This volume considers whether the problems South Africa now faces are of constitutional design or implementation, and analyses the Constitution's external influence on constitutionalism in other parts of the world.<P> Provides a comprehensive, wide-lens view of the achievements and challenges of South African constitutionalism twenty years on.<P> Covers a range of thematic areas including social and economic rights, gender equality, education, and policing.<P> Brings together South African constitutional experts and international comparativists to consider the Constitution's influence in both South Africa and other parts of the world.
Constitutional and Administrative Law
by Hilaire BarnettHilaire Barnett’s Constitutional & Administrative Law has provided generations of students with reliable, accessible and comprehensive coverage of the Public Law syllabus. Mapped to the common course outline, the Thirteenth Edition equips students with an understanding of the UK constitution’s past, present and future by analysing and illustrating the political and socio-historical contexts that have shaped the major rules and principles of constitutional and administrative law, as well as ongoing constitutional reform. This edition has been fully updated and includes discussion of the implications of the United Kingdom's potential withdrawal from the European Union on the constitution, including the impact on the legislative supremacy of Parliament and the relationship between EU and domestic law after departure. Developments on the negotiations of the future relationship between the UK and the EU will be discussed in updates to the Companion Website. Ideal for students studying constitutional and administrative law for the first time, this book offers clear explanations of the challenging concepts and legal rules in public law.
Constitutional and Administrative Law
by Hilaire BarnettHilaire Barnett’s Constitutional and Administrative Law has consistently provided students with reliable, accessible and comprehensive coverage of the Public Law syllabus. Mapped to the common course outline, the Fourteenth edition equips students with a thorough understanding of the UK constitution’s past, present and future by analysing and illustrating the political and socio-historical contexts that have shaped the major rules and principles of constitutional and administrative law, as well as ongoing constitutional reform. This edition has been fully updated and includes discussion of the consequences of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, including the impact on the legislative supremacy of Parliament and the relationship between EU and domestic law after departure. It also features discussion of the 2020 Coronavirus Act, with its implications for state power, and ahead of the forthcoming new SQE qualification, revised multiple choice questions on the Companion Website. Ideal for students studying constitutional and administrative law for the first time, this is an indispensable guide to the challenging concepts and legal rules in public law.
Constitutional and Administrative Law
by Hilaire BarnettHilaire Barnett’s Constitutional and Administrative Law has consistently provided students with reliable, accessible and comprehensive coverage of the Public Law syllabus. Mapped to the common course outline, the Fifteenth edition equips students with a thorough understanding of the UK constitution’s past, present and future by analysing and illustrating the political and socio-historical contexts that have shaped the major rules and principles of constitutional and administrative law, as well as ongoing constitutional reform. This edition has been fully updated throughout, including a restructure to Chapters 22 and 26, as well as additional pause and reflect sections in order to aid student understanding of this complex area of the law. The online digital content also includes updates to the Multiple Choice Questions, Instructor Test Bank and Web Links. Ideal for students studying constitutional and administrative law for the first time, this is an indispensable guide to the challenging concepts and legal rules in public law.
Constitutional and Administrative Law Constitutional and Administrative Law
by Roger Masterman Colin MurrayUsing numerous topical examples and a clear structure, this third edition textbook provides an accessible, discursive and scholarly treatment of the key contemporary issues in UK public law. Drawing upon their extensive teaching and research experience, Roger Masterman and Colin Murray offer an engaging account of the key topics which make up a constitutional and administrative, or public, law syllabus. Controversial issues and broader debates are highlighted throughout the text, allowing the reader to develop a strong understanding of both the application of key topics in the field and the socio-political context in which the constitution has developed. This fully revised edition includes detailed analysis of recent significant cases, the constitutional implications of the Covid-19 pandemic and a dedicated chapter on the consequences of Brexit.
Constitutional and Administrative Law: Key Facts and Key Cases (Key Facts Key Cases)
by Jamie GraceKey Facts Key Cases Constitutional & Administrative Law will ensure you grasp the main concepts of your Constitutional & Administrative Law module with ease. This book explains the facts and associated case law for: - The European Court of Human Rights and the UK Supreme Court - Devolution - Human rights law - EU membership - International law in the UK Constitution Key Facts Key Cases is the essential series for anyone studying law at LLB, postgraduate and conversion courses. The series provides the simplest and most effective way to absorb and retain all of the material essential for passing your exams. Each chapter includes: diagrams at the start of chapters to summarise key points structured headings and numbered points to allow for clear recall of the essential points charts and tables to break down more complex information Chapters are also supported by a Key Cases section which provides the simplest and most effective way to absorb and memorise essential cases needed for exam success. Essential and leading cases are explained The style, layout and explanations are user friendly Cases are broken down into key components by use of a clear system of symbols for quick and easy visual recognition
Constitutional and Administrative Lawcards 2012-2013 (Lawcards)
by RoutledgeRoutledge Lawcards are your complete, pocket-sized guides to key examinable areas of the undergraduate law curriculum and the CPE/GDL. Their concise text, user-friendly layout and compact format make them an ideal revision aid. Helping you to identify, understand and commit to memory the salient points of each area of the law, shouldn’t you make Routledge Lawcards your essential revision companions? Fully updated and revised with all the most important recent legal developments, Routledge Lawcards are packed with features: Revision checklists help you to consolidate the key issues within each topic Colour coded highlighting really makes cases and legislation stand out Full tables of cases and legislation make for easy reference Boxed case notes pick out the cases that are most likely to come up in exams Diagrams and flowcharts clarify and condense complex and important topics '...an excellent starting point for any enthusiastic reviser. The books are concise and get right down to the nitty-gritty of each topic.' - Lex Magazine Routledge Lawcards are supported by a Companion Website offering: Flashcard glossaries allowing you to test your understanding of key terms and definitions Multiple Choice Questions to test and consolidate your revision of each chapter Advice and tips to help you better plan your revision and prepare for your exams Titles in the Series: Commercial Law; Company Law; Constitutional Law; Contract Law; Criminal Law; Employment Law; English Legal System; European Union Law; Evidence; Equity and Trusts; Family Law; Human Rights; Intellectual Property Law; Jurisprudence; Land Law; Tort Law
Constitutionalism Under Extreme Conditions: Law, Emergency, Exception (Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice #82)
by Richard Albert Yaniv RoznaiThis book examines the problem of constitutional change in times of crisis. Divided into five main parts, it both explores and interrogates how public law manages change in periods of extraordinary pressure on the constitution. In Part I, “Emergency, Exception and Normalcy,” the contributors discuss the practices and methods that could be used to help legitimize the use of emergency powers without compromising the constitutional principles that were created during a period of normalcy. In Part II, “Terrorism and Warfare,” the contributors assess how constitutions are interpreted during times of war, focusing on the tension between individual rights and safety. Part III, “Public Health, Financial and Economic Crises,” considers how constitutions change in response to crises that are neither political in the conventional sense nor violent, which also complicates how we evaluate constitutional resilience in times of stress. Part IV, “Constitutionalism for Divided Societies,” then investigates the pressure on constitutions designed to govern diverse, multi-national populations, and how constitutional structures can facilitate stability and balance in these states. Part V, titled “Constitution-Making and Constitutional Change,” highlights how constitutions are transformed or created anew during periods of tension. The book concludes with a rich contextual discussion of the pressing challenges facing constitutions in moments of extreme pressure. Chapter “Public Health Emergencies and Constitutionalism Before COVID-19: Between the National and the International” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.
Constitutionalism and Democracy: Democracy, Constitutionalism And Citizenship In The Eu (The\international Library Of Essays In Law And Legal Theory (second Series) Ser. #2)
by Richard BellamyConstitutionalism and democracy have been interpreted as both intimately related and intrinsically opposed. On the one hand constitutions are said to set out the rules of the democratic game, on the other as constraining the power of the demos and their representatives to rule themselves - including by reforming the very processes of democracy itself. Meanwhile, constitutionalists themselves differ on how far any constitution derives its authority from, and should itself be subject to democratic endorsement and interpretation. They also dispute whether constitutions should refer solely to democratic processes, or also define and limit democratic goals. Each of these positions produces a different view of judicial review, the content and advisability of a Bill of Rights and the nature of constitutional politics. These differences are not simply academic positions, but are reflected in the different types of constitutional democracy found in the United States, continental Europe, Britain and many commonwealth countries. The selected essays explore these issues from the perspectives of law, philosophy and political science. A detailed and informative introduction sets them in the context of contemporary debates about constitutionalism.