The paradox of modern constitutionalism resides in having two imperatives, apparently irreconcilable, i.e. a governmental power generated from the ‘consent of the people' and, in order to be sustained and effective, that power must be divided, constrained and exercised through distinctive...

In R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (a) held that the UK Government had no prerogative power to initiate the formal process whereby the UK will withdraw from the EU and (b) declined to recognise any requirement that the...

The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 forms the centrepiece of the UK's domestic legal preparations for its departure from the European Union. The Act aims to capture and domesticate large swathes of EU law so as to safeguard legal continuity upon Brexit. This paper examines the process by...

The Constitution of Tonga, 132 years old in 2007 -- indeed one of the world's oldest extant constitutions -- has recently, for the first time in history, been subjected to significant scrutiny by the people who live under it. The review process has also canvassed the views of the thousands of...

The European “backyard of rights” is enlarging and Member States face a new period of acknowledgment of human rights. The guarantee of the new rights occurs both through national legislation and through the jurisprudence of international or supranational courts. The European Court of Human...

This Article explores the original meaning of the word “Emolument(s)” in the Constitution. It identifies four common definitions in founding-era political discourse. It places the constitutional use within its context as part of a larger reform movement in Britain and America and as driven...

In this introduction to the New Zealand Cabinet Manual, Sir Kenneth Keith outlines the main features, sources and principles of the New Zealand Constitution. He discusses the role of various constitutional actors including the Governor-General, the Prime Minister and Ministers, the House of...

A wise man once said: ‘Just when you think things cannot get any worse, they will.’ The year 2019 was such a dramatic year for Turkey. The agenda was as loaded as ever. In early 2019, the stinging defeat of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the municipal elections made...

Regulating speech online has become a key concern for lawmakers in several countries. But national and supranational regulatory efforts are being met with significant criticism, particularly in transatlantic perspective. Critiques, however, should not fall into the trap of merely relitigating...

In April 2020, I posted on SSRN a proposed draft Voting Rights and Reform Act of 2021, and in August 2020, I posted a set of proposed constitutional amendments to reform the U.S. Supreme Court, the office of the U.S. Attorney General, issues relating to the inability and succession of the...