Constitution Makers on Constitution Making: New Cases

Description

Constitution-making is a major event in the life of a country, with constitutions often acting as a catalyst for social and political transformation. But what determines the visions, aspirations and compromises that go into a written constitution? In this unique volume, constitution makers from countries around the world come together to offer their insights. Using a collection of case studies from countries with recently written constitutions, Constitution Makers on Constitution Making provides a common framework to explain how constitutions are created. Scholars and practitioners very close to the process illuminate critical insights into how participants see constitutional options, how deadlocks are broken, and how changes are achieved. This vital volume also draws lessons concerning the role of courts in policing the process, on international involvement, and on public participation.

Tom Ginsburg is the Leo Spitz Professor of International Law at the University of Chicago, where he also holds an appointment in the Political Science Department. His books include Democracies and Constitutional Law (2021); How to Save a Constitutional Democracy (2018, with Aziz Z. Huq); The Endurance of National Constitutions (2009, with Zachary Elkins and James Melton), which won the best book award from Comparative Democratization Section of American Political Science Association; Judicial Review in New Democracies (2003), and over 20 edited volumes. Sumit Bisarya is Head of Constitution Building Process Programme at International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). Previously he was the Senior Constitutions Advisor with the United Nations Department for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. He has over a decade of experience in providing constitutional assistance in over 15 countries around the world.