For Whom Writing Constitutions Is Written
The revision of a constitution and sometimes the mere amendment of only one important clause is a humongous undertaking. Many books have been written about designing this process including participatory elements to reach acceptance across an entire population.
At the outset, however, stands the analysis of whether existing or missing constitutional provisions are appropriate, and then the crafting of new wording. This task is enormous because many aspects have to be considered, including: (1) the remaining unaltered parts of the constitution, (2) the history of the constitution, (3) the previous rulings of the constitutional or supreme courts, (4) the subconstitutional law already in place, (5) the unwritten law and practice already in existence, (6) the experience of neighbouring countries, (7) different mechanisms around the world and (8) the world’s best practice.[12]The work that is conducted by lawmakers around the world is impressive. In Volume I, Writing Constitutions intends to assist in identifying different mechanisms around the world and the world’s best constitutional practice. It is written for deputies, ministers, prime ministers, presidents and legal practitioners around the world involved in constitutional debate and reforms. This includes members of ministries of justice or attorney general departments and experts working in parliament and judges and associates of constitutional courts. It is also written for law students and civil rights groups who monitor constitutional developments or strive for political change and are keen to be empowered and to make informed decisions.