Welcome to the Constitution-Making and Constitutional Change blog by the Research Group of the IACL
Here is the official blog of the research group on constitution-making and constitutional change operating under the International Association of Constitutional Law. This is a blog open to all. We hope to provide a forum for interaction and discussion on all topics related to constitution-making and constitutional change. Lets share information and analysis of the ongoing developments in our countries and the relevant theoretical debates: lets blog.
- September 29, 2020
- 2:15 pm
- Constitutional Change
by Nora Camenisch-Ehinger and Markus Kern, University of Bern.
Due to a backlog caused by the Covid-19-epidemic, the Swiss electorate had five proposals on its plate on September 27, 2020. In most cantons and municipalities additional decisions had to be taken on cantonal or local issues. The turnout was comparatively high at around 59%, sign of the strong mobilization of the political questions at stake.
- February 10, 2020
- 2:19 pm
- Constitutional Change
by Prof. Markus Kern / Fabian Schmid, University of Bern
On February 9, 2020, two proposals were up for decision by the Swiss electorate:
– the Popular Initiative claiming “more affordable homes” as well as
– a referendum concerning a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation in criminal law
The Popular Initiative was rejected by 57.1% of the Swiss population and by all but 4½ of the cantons, whereas the amendment of criminal law was clearly accepted by a majority of 63.1% of the voters. Electoral turnout was at 41.7% resp. 40.9%.
- November 18, 2019
- 4:38 pm
- Constitutional Change
by Tímea Drinóczi, Professor, University of Pécs, Faculty of Law, Hungary
Illiberal states emerging in Europe, such as Hungary and Poland, are still constitutional democracies, which are shaped peacefully by populist politicians from a more substantial form of constitutional democracy that prioritizes (liberal) constitutional values through the use of populist style of governance, abusive constitutionalism, and autocratic legalism.[1] In our cases, the minimum requirements of a constitutional democracy, such as the rule of law, human rights, and democracy, have been defectively worded in a constitution, or poorly implemented or enforced.
- October 30, 2019
- 1:31 pm
- Constitutional Change
by Tímea Drinóczi, Professor, University of Pécs, Faculty of Law, Hungary
This short note argues that the term illiberal constitutionalism shall be used when describing the constitutional system of a particular state in the process of backsliding from the state of constitutional democracy towards an authoritarian regime. The main argument of those who oppose this term is that constitutionalism cannot be anything else but liberal. Neither Hungary nor Poland can nurture constitutionalism anymore because there are no effective constraints on public power.
- October 29, 2019
- 1:22 pm
- Events
Organised by the IACL Working Group on Constitutional Interpretation, supported by the EU H2020 project DEMOS (Democratic Efficacy and the Varieties of Populism in Europe), the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and the Centre for Social Sciences, Institute for Legal Studies
Budapest, December 5-6, 2019
Tag Cloud
"perfect bicameralism"
Albania
amendment
Article V
Brexit
Catalan referendum
Catalonia
constituent power
constitutional length
constitutional referenda
constitutional referendum
constitutional reform
Denmark
Egypt
EU
EU membership
financial crisis
Finland
Greece
Greek referendum
human rights
Hungary
immigration
Ireland
Italy
judicial review
Poland
popular initiative
referendum
referendums
renewable energy
rule of law
same sex marriage
Scottish Independence
secessionism
self-determination
Spain
state of emergency
Swiss referendum
Switzerland
taxation
Tunisia
UK
UK Constitution
USA
Convenor
Xenophon Contiades,
Professor of Public Law and Dean, University of Peloponnese, Managing Director, Centre for European Constitutional Law
xcontiades@hotmail.com,
centre@cecl.gr
Blog master
Alkmene Fotiadou, Dr. iur.,
Centre for European Constitutional Law
alkmenef@gmail.com
Publications
Members of the Group
- Thomas Fleiner,
Professor Emeritus of Public Law, University of Fribourg, Former President of the Executive Committee of the IACL - Cheryl Saunders,
Laureate Professor, Melbourne Law School - Pankhuri Agrawal,
- PhD Scholar, NALSAR, Hyderabad LL.M-Business Laws, NLSIU, Bangalore
- Richard Albert,
Professor of Constitutional Law, Boston College Law School - Anneli Albi,
Professor of European Law, Law School, University of Kent - Nicholas Aroney,
Professor of Constitutional Law, The University of Queensland Australia - Ringolds Balodis,
Professor of Law, University of Latvia - Dr. Samo Bardutzky,
Research Associate, University of Kent Law School - Abraham Barrero Ortega,
Associate Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Seville - Omar Bendourou,
Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Mohammed V at Souissi Morocco - Dr. Paul Blokker,
University of Trento - Dr. Malik Boumediene,
Maitre de conférences, University of Toulouse - Joshua Braver, J.D.,
Yale Law School - Xenophon Contiades,
Professor of Public Law, University of Peloponnese, Director, Centre for European Constitutional Law - Ian Cram,
Professor of Comparative Constitutional Law, University of Leeds - Jean-Philippe Derosier,
Professor, Université de Rouen - Rosalind Dixon,
Professor of Law, Director, Comparative Constitutional Law Project, Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, Deputy-Director, HSF Law & Economics Initiative, UNSW Australia - Tímea Drinóczi,
Professor, University of Pécs, Faculty of Law, Hungary - Massimo Fichera,
Post-Doctoral Researcher, University of Helsinki - Dr. Ilton N. Robl Filho,
Academia Brasileira de Direito Constitucional
- Michèle Finck,
Doctoral Researcher, University of Oxford - Alkmene Fotiadou,
Dr. iur, Centre for European Constitutional Law - Jörg Gerkrath,
Professor, University of Luxembourg - Siri Gloppen,
Professor, University of Bergen - Jurgen Goossens,
Ph.D. Researcher, Public Law Department, Ghent University - Tania Groppi,
Professor of Public Law, University of Siena - Irene Sobrino Guijarro,
Assistant Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Seville - Bianca Gutan,
Professor of Constitutional Law and Human Rights Law, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu - Dr. Michael Hein,
Research Fellow, University of Göttingen - Eirik Holmøyvik,
Associate Professor of Law, University of Bergen - Claudia Josi,
Adjunct Professor, Santa Clara University School of Law - Soumaya Khammassi,
- Ph.D. at the Administrative Court of Tunisia Judge
- Helle Krunke,
Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Copenhagen - Prof.dr. Henk R.B.M. Kummeling,
Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Constitutional Law, Utrecht University, Extraordinary Professor, University of the Western Cape, South Africa - Juha Lavapuro,
Associate Professor of Public Law, University of Tampere - Jónatas E.M. Machado,
Associate Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Coimbra - John F. McEldowney,
Professor of Law, University of Warwick - Giorgi Meladze,
Center for Constitutional Research, Ilia State University - Giorgi Meladze,
Center for Constitutional Research, Ilia State University - David Gwynn Morgan,
Distinguished Professor of Law at Kuwait International Law School
- Christina Murray,
Professor of Constitutional and Human Rights Law, University of Cape Town - Anu Mutanen,
Researcher, LL.D., M.Sc. (Admin.), University of Helsinki - Tuomas Ojanen,
Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Helsinki - Gianluca P. Parolin,
Assistant Professor, The American University in Cairo - Alicia Pastor y Camarasa,
PhD Candidate at University of Louvain - Janis Pleps,
Lecturer of Law, University of Latvia - Agustín Ruiz Robledo,
Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Granada - Angel Rodriguez,
Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Malaga - Dr. Yaniv Roznai,
Assistant Professor, Radzyner School Οf Law, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), Herzliya, Israel, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Hauser Global Law School, New York University - Janne Salminen,
University of Turku - Antoine Sfeir,
Professor of Law, University of Lebanon - Ali Shirvani,
PhD researcher, Xiamen University - Eivind Smith,
Professor, University of Oslo - Zoltán Szente,
Professor of Law, National University of Public Service, Budapest - Ioannis Tassopoulos,
Associate Professor of Public Law, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - Björg Thorarensen,
Professor of Law, Faculty of Law, University of Iceland - Dario Tosi,
Professor of Public Law, University of Valle D’ Aosta - Irina Tretyak,
- Associate Professor of Dostoevsky Omsk State University, Omsk, Russia
- Nora Camenisch-Ehinger,
University of Bern - Markus Kern,
University of Bern