CONSTITUTION MAKING

ABOUT

In the modern-era, the making and remaking of constitutions is a key activity of both states and sub-state entities.

Almost all states have gone through the process of drafting and approving a formal constitution text at least once. Indeed, since the Philadelphia Convention of 1789, over a thousand constitutions have been drafted worldwide. This number increases substantially when we take into consideration sub-national constitutions.

Drafting a constitution is a central facet of most substantial political transformations and serves a variety of purposes. A new constitution can be the hallmark of independence from a country’s former colonial masters; it can be the product of violent, economic, or societal upheavals; it can signify a regime change, be it pro- or even anti-democratic in nature; and it can be born out of the wish to address contemporary challenges, either of a local or a global character.

Many questions arise during the process of constitution-making and remaking, including (but certainly not limited to):

  • What gives constitutions their legitimacy?
  • What factors and actors drive the process of (re)making a constitution?
  • How should constitution-making processes be designed to ensure and enhance legitimacy?
  • What should the role of the ‘public’ in constitution-making processes be?
  • Which topics should be regulated in the formal constitution?
  • What are the implications of the internationalisation of constitution-making practices?

With this interest group, we aim to bring together, under the umbrella of ICON-S, comparative constitutional studies scholars from multiple disciplines interested in discussing and collaborating on issues related to constitution making.

We will use the interest group both to help build a network of scholars interested in constitution-making and to provide vehicles for collaboration. Over the next three years, we anticipate this might include:

  • a virtual forum to workshop work-in-progress papers on topics relating to constitution-making;
  • a hybrid workshop culminating in an edited volume on topics of mutual interest and/or a potential collaboration with the ICONnect blog for a blog symposium on constitution-making.

Convenors

Maartje De Visser, Singapore Management University, mdevisser@smu.edu.sg

Mariana Velasco-Rivera, Maynooth University, Mariana.VelascoRivera@mu.ie

Elisabeth Perham, University of New South Wales, e.perham@unsw.edu.au

Berihun Gebeye, University College London, b.gebeye@ucl.ac.uk

Amal Sethi, University of Hamburg, amal.sethi@uni-hamburg.de

Upcoming chapter events, projects, and activities

The interest group will have its next meeting at the 2024 Annual Conference in Madrid where it has also put together 5 panels.

Contact

ICON•S | The International Society of Public Law
40 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012
United States

© 2024 ICON•S