Some Major Themes in the Study of Constitutionalism and Democracy in Africa
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Gedion T Hessebon
S.J.D Candidate at the Legal Studies Department of the Central European University, Budapest, and an Assistant Lecturer at the School of Law of the Addis Ababa University
Abstract
We have now been through two decades since the onset of what has been deemed the ‘second liberation’ of Africa. In these two decades, interest in the study of constitutionalism has been gaining momentum and an increasing body of scholarly literature is being produced on constitutionalism and multi-party democracy in African states. Though an exhaustive treatment of this literature in a single paper is impossible, in this paper an attempt will be made to identify and highlight some of the major themes in the comparative constitutional law and democratization scholarship focused on Africa. Specifically, four themes will be identified and discussed. These are: i) autochthony and cultural contextualization of constitutionalism, ii) executive hegemony and imperial presidencies, iii) economic critiques and discontents with the liberal democratic model and iv) the effects and accommodation of ethnicity.
About the author
S.J.D Candidate at the Legal Studies Department of the Central European University, Budapest, and an Assistant Lecturer at the School of Law of the Addis Ababa University
© 2017 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Inhalt
- Table of Contents
- Editorial
- Articles
- Principles of National Constitutionalism limiting Individual Claims in Human Rights Law
- Some Major Themes in the Study of Constitutionalism and Democracy in Africa
- A Constitutional Tradition in the Making: The Presidents’ Cases and the Role of Kosovo’s Constitutional Court in the Process of Democratic Consolidation
- Notes
- Constitutional Comparison and Legislation
- Developments Austria
- Focus: The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union in the Austrian Constitutional Court’s case law
- EU-Law Infringements in Austria: Constitutional Review Restricted
- Failure to refer a preliminary question to the ECJ and the right to a lawful Judge
- The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union to be treated like Constitutional Law
- The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union as review standard in proceedings before the Constitutional Court
- Wording and Determinateness – Indeterminately Worded
- Rights of the Charter of Fundamental Rights as constitutionally guaranteed rights – VfSlg 14.886/1997 revisited?
- Can the constitutionality of omitting a public hearing in the Austrian Constitutional Court’s CFREU decision legitimately be based on the jurisdiction on Art 6 ECHR?
- The Austrian approach towards European Human Rights
- An Austrian enthusiasm towards European human rights protection
- Developments CEE
- Hungarian Constitutional Court: New Media Regulation partly under Constitutional Scrutiny
- Croatian Constitutional Court: The electoral procedure for voters/members of national minorities for representatives to the Croatian Parliament
- Book Reviews
- Said Amir Arjomand (ed), Constitutional Politics in the Middle East: With special reference to Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, Hart Publishing, 2008, ISBN 978-1-841-13774-2, xii + 210 pp0
Articles in the same Issue
- Inhalt
- Table of Contents
- Editorial
- Articles
- Principles of National Constitutionalism limiting Individual Claims in Human Rights Law
- Some Major Themes in the Study of Constitutionalism and Democracy in Africa
- A Constitutional Tradition in the Making: The Presidents’ Cases and the Role of Kosovo’s Constitutional Court in the Process of Democratic Consolidation
- Notes
- Constitutional Comparison and Legislation
- Developments Austria
- Focus: The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union in the Austrian Constitutional Court’s case law
- EU-Law Infringements in Austria: Constitutional Review Restricted
- Failure to refer a preliminary question to the ECJ and the right to a lawful Judge
- The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union to be treated like Constitutional Law
- The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union as review standard in proceedings before the Constitutional Court
- Wording and Determinateness – Indeterminately Worded
- Rights of the Charter of Fundamental Rights as constitutionally guaranteed rights – VfSlg 14.886/1997 revisited?
- Can the constitutionality of omitting a public hearing in the Austrian Constitutional Court’s CFREU decision legitimately be based on the jurisdiction on Art 6 ECHR?
- The Austrian approach towards European Human Rights
- An Austrian enthusiasm towards European human rights protection
- Developments CEE
- Hungarian Constitutional Court: New Media Regulation partly under Constitutional Scrutiny
- Croatian Constitutional Court: The electoral procedure for voters/members of national minorities for representatives to the Croatian Parliament
- Book Reviews
- Said Amir Arjomand (ed), Constitutional Politics in the Middle East: With special reference to Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, Hart Publishing, 2008, ISBN 978-1-841-13774-2, xii + 210 pp0
