Way of Discovering Constitutional Identities in Different Jurisdictions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60131/jlaw.1.2024.7948Keywords:
Constitutional Identity, Unamendable Provisions, Models of Discovering Constitutional Identities, Declaration of Independence, Preamble.Abstract
In legal scholarship there are different approaches regarding the constitutional identities. The paper presents the views of Georgian and foreign professors, some of which are contradictory. The main topic of the article is to single out and classify the ways of discovering constitutional identities. The author, drawing from examples of different states, puts forward 4 ways of discovering constitutional identities. According to the first model, constitutional identity can be discovered outside the text of a constitution, namely in declaration of independence. The example of this model is the United States. The second model suggests looking at the preambles of the constitutions. Here the example would be Turkey. The third way of discovering constitutional identities is to resort to the master text of the constitution. Here two subtypes can be distinguished. On the one hand, general norms in the constitution can bear the function of constitutional identity. On the other hand, it can be unamendable provisions. For each case the examples are drawn from the respective jurisdictions. The fourth model of discovering constitutional identities is to look at judicial decisions.
The article analyzes critically the possibility of unamendable provisions to be the bearers of constitutional identity. The author argues that not in every case an unamendable provision reflects the constitutional identity. The article suggests a kind of formula which can be used to tell in which cases can an unamendable provision be constitutional identity. The appropriate examples are given to test the formula.
References
Gegenava D., For Understanding Constitutional Identities, in Sergo Jorbenadze 90, edited by Sergi Jorbenadze, Sulkhan-Saba University Press, 2019, 335, 339 (in Georgian).
Basic Law of Germany, 08/05/1949.
Constitution of Norway, 17/05/1814.
Albert R., Constitutional Amendment and Dismemberment, The Yale Journal of International Law, Vol. 43, 2018, 39.
Albert R., Constitutional Amendments, Making, Breaking, and Changing Constitutions, Oxford University Press, 2019, 68, 85, 139.
Chandra A., A Precious Heritage?: the Construction of Constitutional Identity by Indian Courts, Comparative Constitutional Studies, Vol. 1 N. 1, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2023, 140-142, 144.
Dixon R., Amending Constitutional Identity, Cardozo Law Review, Vol. 33, № 5, 2012, 1847-1858.
Ginsburg T., Bisaraya S., Introduction, Constitution Makers on Constitution Making, New Cases, Cambridge University Press, 2022, 25.
Ginsburg T., Democracies and International Law, Cambridge University Press, 2021, 108.
Friedman A., Dead Hand Constitutionalism: the Danger of Eternity Clauses in New Democracies, Mexican Law Review, Vol. 4, №1, 2011, 79.
German Political Parties, https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/Political-process [10.11.23.].
Jackson V., What's in a Name? Reflections on Timing, Naming, and Constitution-making, William & Mary Law Review, Vol. 49, Iss. 4, 2008, 1253.
Jacobson G., Constitutional Identity, Harvard University Press, 2010, 88, 329, 349.
Jacobson G. J., Rights and American Constitutional Identity, Polity, Vol. 43, №. 4, 2011, 414, 428.
Jacobson G., The Formation of Constitutional Identities, Comparative Constitutional Law, edited by Tom Ginsburg and Rosalind Dixon, Edward Edgars Publishing, 2011, 129, 131, 132.
Krunke H., Constitutional Identity and Equality: the Challenge of the Nordic EU Member States, Comparative Constitutional Studies, Vol. 1 N. 1, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2023, 126.
Landau D., Dixon R., Tiered Constitutional Design, The George Washington Law Review, Vol. 86, 2018, 486.
Landau D., Presidential Term Limits in Latin America: A Critical Analysis of the Migration of the Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendment Doctrine, Law & Ethics of Human Rights, Vol. 12, № 2, 2018, 242.
Landau D., Roznai Y., Dixon R., Term Limits and the Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendment Doctrine: Lessons from Latin America, The Politics of Presidential Term Limits, edited by Alexander Baturo and Robert Elgie, Oxford University Press, 2019, 63-64.
Michel S., Cofone I.N., Credible Commitment or Paternalism? The Case of Unamendability, An Unamendable Constitution? Unamendability in Constitutional Democracies, Springer International Publishing AG, 2018, 137.
Rosenfeld M., The Identity of the Constitutional Subject: Selfhood, Citizenship, Culture and Community, Routledge, 2010, 29, 131, 187, 195.
Roznai Y., Internally Imposed Constitutions, The Law and Legitimacy of Imposed Constitutions, edited by Richard Albert, Xenophon Contiades and Alkmene Fotiadou, Routledge, 2019, 61-62.
Roznai Y., Okubasu D. M., Stability of Constitutional Structures and Identity Amidst ‘Political Settlement’: Lessons from Kenya and Israel, Comparative Constitutional Studies, Vol. 1 N. 1, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2023, 122.
Roznai Y., The Straw that Broke the Constitution’s Back? Qualitative Quantity in Judicial Review of Constitutional Amendments, Constitutionalism: Old Dilemmas, New Insights, edited by Alejandro Linares Cantillo, Oxford University Press, 2021, 149.
Roznai Y., Unamendability and the Genetic Code of the Constitution, European Review of Public Law, Vol. 27, Iss. 2, 2015, 775-824.
Roznai Y., Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendments: the Limits of Amendment Powers, Oxford University Press, 2017, 142, 148.
Sajó A., Fabbrini F., The Dangers of Constitutional Identity, European Law Journal, Vol. 25, Iss. 4, 2019, 471.
Sajó A., Uitz R., The Constitution of Freedom: an Introduction to Legal Constitutionalism, Oxford University Press, 2017, 64-65.
Scholtes J., Abusing Constitutional Identity, German Law Journal, Vol. 22, 2021, 534–556.
Suteu S., Eternity Clauses in Democratic Constitutionalism, Oxford University Press, 2021, 113-121.
Versteeg M., Horley T., Meng A., Guim M., Guirguis M., The Law and Politics of Presidential Term Limit Evasion, Columbia Law Review, Vol. 120, 2020, 231-232.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
