In recent times, the end of the democratic era[1] and a “cultural backlash”[2] has been predicted.
However, we now increasingly observe a different phenomenon: decade- old and often century-old constitutions prove to be a fierce stronghold against autocratic rulers. Contraventions of constitutional provisions are tested in courts and the executive is often called to order.
More so, many attempts likely do not see the light of day because constitutions have successfully enshrined checks and balances. The value of constitutions cannot, therefore, be underestimated: constitutions are the unsung heroes of the early twenty-first century. Whilst constitutions are always subject to change, fundamental and radical changes will not be unquestioned. International acceptance becomes more and more important in a globalised community and rulers are on the watch.Against this backdrop, Writing Constitutions intends to serve as a manual for those writing constitutions or interested in their design. It is the first coherent, systematic and universal approach to capture concept and content of a modern constitution. Volume I breaks each constitutional mechanism down into components and offers various designs for the drafting of its clauses. This provides lawmakers with the necessary toolkit for writing constitutions and empowers them to strengthen democracies. This toolkit will particularly be needed as the world is entering fundamental transformations triggered by climate change.