This book analyses the problem of the possibility of guaranteeing the constitutionality of law in cases when a constitutional court either has been weakened or does not exist. A starting point of the research is the emergence of the so-called illiberal constitutionalism in several states, namely Poland, Hungary and Turkey, as this phenomenon gravely affects the functioning of constitutional courts. The work is divided into three parts. The first contains contributions of a theoretical nature dedicated to the current shape of constitutional review, in particular in the light of the emergence of "illiberal constitutionalism". This part of the book also deals with the collapse of the centralised constitutional review in Poland and the attempts to resolve the constitutional crisis. The second is focused on discussing specific, current problems with constitutional review, on the basis of states such as Hungary, Romania, Turkey and Poland. The third relates to other forms of constitutional review, that is, the so-called dispersed model and the parliamentary one executed in the course of the legislative process. The contributions discuss such forms of constitutional review in the Netherlands and Finland. The book will be a valuable resource for students, academics and policy-makers working in the areas of constitutional law and politics.

The Max Planck Handbooks in European Public Law series describes and analyzes the public law of the European legal space, an area that encompasses not only the law of the European Union but also the European Convention on Human Rights and, importantly, the domestic public laws of European states. Recognizing that the ongoing vertical and horizontal processes of European integration render legal comparison the task of our time for both scholars and practitioners, the project aims to foster a better understanding of the specific European legal pluralism and, ultimately, to contribute to the legitimacy and efficiency of European public law. The first volume of the series began this endeavour with an appraisal of the evolution of the state and its administration, offering both cross-cutting contributions and specific country reports. The third volume (the second in chronological terms) continues this approach with an in-depth appraisal of constitutional adjudication in various and diverse European countries. Fourteen country reports and two cross-cutting contributions investigate the antecedents, foundations, organization, procedure, and specific approach to constitutional issues throughout the Continent. The fourth volume now compares European constitutional jurisdiction in the European legal space. It examines the structures of the organization, the appointment of judges, the procedures and the methods of argumentation and interpretation, their impact on state and society, their legitimacy as well as their role in the division of powers, and thus completes the picture following the country reports in Volume III. This comparative perspective is supplemented by an examination that illustrates the relationship with the ECJ, the ECtHR, and the Venice Commission as well as their (constitutional) function. Finally, Constitutional Adjudication: Common Themes and Challenges is devoted to the challenges constitutional jurisdiction in the European judicial area is currently facing. The historical, political, and theoretical foundations as well as the basic dogmatic features of constitutional jurisdiction are presented in such a way that the discussion about its role and further development in this legal space is sustainably stimulated.

Derived from the renowned multi-volume International Encyclopaedia of Laws, this very useful analysis of constitutional law in Bulgaria provides essential information on the country’s sources of constitutional law, its form of government, and its administrative structure. Lawyers who handle transnational matters will appreciate the clarifications of particular terminology and its application. Throughout the book, the treatment emphasizes the specific points at which constitutional law affects the interpretation of legal rules and procedure. Thorough coverage by a local expert fully describes the political system, the historical background, the role of treaties, legislation, jurisprudence, and administrative regulations. The discussion of the form and structure of government outlines its legal status, the jurisdiction and workings of the central state organs, the subdivisions of the state, its decentralized authorities, and concepts of citizenship. Special issues include the legal position of aliens, foreign relations, taxing and spending powers, emergency laws, the power of the military, and the constitutional relationship between church and state. Details are presented in such a way that readers who are unfamiliar with specific terms and concepts in varying contexts will fully grasp their meaning and significance. Its succinct yet scholarly nature, as well as the practical quality of the information it provides, make this book a valuable time-saving tool for both practising and academic jurists. Lawyers representing parties with interests in Bulgaria will welcome this guide, and academics and researchers will appreciate its value in the study of comparative constitutional law.

Designed for an undergraduate course in US constitutional law, the casebook takes a liberal arts approach, tracing constitutional doctrine and policy back to their foundation in social, moral, and political theory, and prompting students to engage the great questions of political life addressed by the Constitution and its interpretation. Opinions of the US Supreme Court constitute the core of the documents. The first edition was published in 1998; the second adds and updates topics. Annotation : 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

In Russia, as the confrontation over the constitutional distribution of authority raged, Boris Yeltsin's economic program regularly wended its way in and out of the Constitutional Court until Yeltsin finally suspended that court in the aftermath of his clash with the hard-line parliament. In Europe, French and German legislators and executives now routinely alter desired policies in response to or in anticipation of the pronouncements of constitutional courts. In Latin America and Africa, courts are--or will be-- important participants in ongoing efforts to establish constitutional rules and policies protect new or fragile democracies from the threats of military intervention, ethnic conflict, and revolution. This global expansion of judicial power, or judicialization of politics is accompanied by an increasing domination of negotiating or decision making arenas by quasi- judicial procedures. For better or for worse, the judicialization of politics has become one of the most significant trends of the end of the millenium. In this book, political scientists, legal scholars, and judges around the world trace the intellectual origins of this trend, describe its occurence--or lack of occurence--in specific nations, analyze the circumstances and conditions that promote or retard judicialization, and evaluate the phenomenon from a variety of intellectual and ideological perspectives.

This book shows how the Austrian Constitution has been shaped and interpreted by the fundamental events in Austria's modern history. At the same time it emphasises the way in which the Constitution establishes a parliamentary system, with additional presidential features, limited, in turn, by Austria's federal structure and the parliaments of nine states. It charts the history and character of the constitution; the political structure; the legislative and executive branches of the federal government; public bodies; jurisdiction and fundamental Rights. This new edition explores the changing political landscape, particularly the development of a more competitive party system. It also looks at the response to COVID and the jurisprudence of the Austrian Constitutional Court in the face of the curtailment of rights in order to curb the pandemic. Offering the trademark combination of clarity of explanation and rigour of analysis that defines the series, this is an excellent guide to a fascinating constitutional structure.

The first five editions of this well established book were written by Colin Turpin. This new edition has been prepared jointly by Colin Turpin and Adam Tomkins. This edition sees a major restructuring of the material, as well as a complete updating. New developments such as the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and recent case law concerning the sovereignty of Parliament, the Human Rights Act, counter-terrorism and protests against the Iraq War, among other matters, are extracted and analysed. While it includes extensive material and commentary on contemporary constitutional reform, Turpin and Tomkins is a book that covers the historical traditions and the continuity of the British constitution as well as the current tide of change. All the chapters contain detailed suggestions for further reading. Designed principally for law students the book includes substantial extracts from parliamentary and other political sources, as well as from legislation and case law. As such it is essential reading also for politics and government students. Much of the material has been reworked and with its fresh design the book provides a detailed yet accessible account of the British constitution at a fascinating moment in its ongoing development.

This volume reflects the findings of a conference organized in preparation of setting up a national human rights commission and ombudsman institution in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The meeting assembled experts in the field of the protection and promotion of human rights, and of the problems of countries in transition from a non-democratic system, characterized by gross violations of human rights, towards a democratic system based on the rule of law and respect for human rights. The book analyses the functioning of national human rights commissions and ombudsman institutions in 23 different countries, by means of country report written in the main by members of these institutions themselves and containing an assessment of their experience. Many offer relevant constitutional and legislative provisions as well. This volume thus forms a unique collection of materials dealing with national human rights commissions and ombudsman offices.