Constitutions compared : an introduction to comparative constitutional law / Aalt Willem Heringa.
2016
K3184 .H47 2016 (Map It)
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Author
Title
Constitutions compared : an introduction to comparative constitutional law / Aalt Willem Heringa.
Published
Cambridge, United Kingdom : Intersentia Ltd, [2016]
Call Number
K3184 .H47 2016
Former Call Number
Comp 910 H424 2016
Edition
4th edition.
ISBN
9781780683997 (pbk.)
1780683995 (pbk.)
1780683995 (pbk.)
Description
xv, 473 pages ; 24 cm
System Control No.
(OCoLC)954018688
Summary
The new edition of this handbook provides an original and user-friendly introduction to comparative constitutional law. For each area of constitutional law, a general introduction and a comparative overview is provided, which is then followed by more detailed country chapters on that specific area. In this fourth edition, the author has expanded several chapters to provide for even more detail on national legal systems and constitutional comparison. In addition, he has updated the discussion wherever necessary. Thus, this book most notably takes account of the new election system in Germany; the operation of the constitutional review procedure in France; the Scottish referendum and its aftermath in the UK; the new procedure for the formation of a government in the Netherlands; the discussion about the accession of the EU to the European Convention on Human Rights; and notably the effects on domestic constitutional law in the EU member states by EU membership, the EMU, the political dialogue between national parliaments and the Commission, the banking union and many other relevant developments. The EU has therefore more extensively been woven into this book, as a constitutional system per se and as an international organization which heavily impacts upon domestic constitutional law.
Note
The new edition of this handbook provides an original and user-friendly introduction to comparative constitutional law. For each area of constitutional law, a general introduction and a comparative overview is provided, which is then followed by more detailed country chapters on that specific area. In this fourth edition, the author has expanded several chapters to provide for even more detail on national legal systems and constitutional comparison. In addition, he has updated the discussion wherever necessary. Thus, this book most notably takes account of the new election system in Germany; the operation of the constitutional review procedure in France; the Scottish referendum and its aftermath in the UK; the new procedure for the formation of a government in the Netherlands; the discussion about the accession of the EU to the European Convention on Human Rights; and notably the effects on domestic constitutional law in the EU member states by EU membership, the EMU, the political dialogue between national parliaments and the Commission, the banking union and many other relevant developments. The EU has therefore more extensively been woven into this book, as a constitutional system per se and as an international organization which heavily impacts upon domestic constitutional law.
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references.
Record Appears in
Table of Contents
Preface to the Fourth Edition
v
ch. 1
Introduction to Comparative Constitutional Law
1
1.
Introduction
1
2.
Meaning of a Constitution
3
3.
Flexibility of Constitutions
7
4.
Terminology
11
4.1.
State
11
4.2.
Country
12
4.3.
Nation
12
4.4.
Government
13
4.5.
Republic
13
4.6.
Democracy
16
5.
Further Reading
17
ch. 2
Constitutions Compared: Origins and Main Features
19
1.
Overview
19
1.1.
Notion of Sovereignty
19
1.1.1.
Popular versus Royal Sovereignty
20
1.1.2.
Popular versus National Sovereignty
21
1.1.3.
Popular versus State Sovereignty
22
1.1.4.
Parliamentary Sovereignty
22
1.1.5.
Absence of Sovereignty
24
1.1.6.
Sovereignty and European Integration
24
1.2.
Parliamentary and Presidential Systems
26
1.3.
Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances
29
1.4.
Role of Judges
31
1.5.
State Structure: Unitarism and Federalism
32
1.6.
Rule of Law/Rechtsstaat
33
1.7.
Summary
34
1.8.
Further Reading
34
2.
United States
35
2.1.
Civil War and Reconstruction
35
2.2.
US Constitution
36
3.
Germany
38
3.1.
National Unification
39
3.2.
Division and Reunification
40
3.3.
Basic Law
42
4.
United Kingdom
44
4.1.
Monarchy and Parliament
44
4.2.
UK Constitution
46
4.3.
UK and Europe
49
5.
France
50
5.1.
Sequence of Constitutions
50
5.2.
Constitution of the Fifth Republic
52
6.
Netherlands
54
6.1.
Dutch Independence and the French Period
55
6.2.
Kingdom of the United Netherlands
56
6.3.
Dutch Constitution
56
6.4.
Charter for the Kingdom
58
7.
European Union
60
ch. 3
Federalism, Unitarism and Decentralization
63
1.
Overview
63
1.1.
Degrees of Federalism and Devolution
65
1.2.
Types of Federalism and Devolution
66
1.3.
Federalism and the European Union
68
1.4.
Summary
69
1.5.
Further Reading
71
2.
United States
71
2.1.
US Federalism: The Senate
71
2.2.
Federalism and the House of Representatives
72
2.3.
Vertical Separation of Powers
73
2.4.
Federalism at Presidential Elections
76
2.5.
Federalism and the Executive and Judicial System
76
3.
Germany
77
3.1.
German Federalism: The Bundesrat
78
3.2.
Federalism and the Bundestag
79
3.3.
Competences of the Federal Lawmaker
80
3.4.
Federalism and the Election of the Federal President
81
3.5.
Federalism and the Executive and Judicial System
82
4.
United Kingdom
82
5.
France
85
6.
Netherlands
87
6.1.
Decentralization in the Netherlands
87
6.2.
Overarching Kingdom
88
7.
European Union
90
7.1.
EU's Competences
90
7.2.
EU's Institutions
91
7.3.
Execution
92
7.4.
Supremacy
92
7.5.
Democracy Deficit: Accountability, Legitimacy and National Parliaments
93
ch. 4
Parliaments and Lawmaking
97
1.
Overview
97
1.1.
Principles of Elections
101
1.2.
Election Systems
103
1.3.
Bicameralism
107
1.4.
Legislative Process
108
1.5.
Referenda
110
1.6.
Government and the Head of State
112
1.7.
Parliamentary Privilege
114
1.8.
Summary
114
1.9.
Further Reading
115
2.
United States
115
2.1.
House of Representatives
116
2.2.
Senate
117
2.3.
Federal Lawmaking
118
2.4.
President
119
3.
Germany
120
3.1.
Bundestag
121
3.2.
Election System
122
3.2.1.
Seat Distribution
122
3.2.2.
Threshold
124
3.2.3.
Unconstitutionality
125
3.3.
Bundesrat
127
3.4.
Federal Lawmaking
129
3.4.1.
Legislative Process
130
3.4.2.
Bundesrat
131
3.4.3.
President
133
4.
United Kingdom
134
4.1.
Commons
134
4.2.
Lords
136
4.3.
Legislative Process
138
4.3.1.
Royal Assent
140
4.3.2.
Lords
140
5.
France
142
5.1.
National Assembly
143
5.2.
Senate
144
5.3.
Legislative Process
146
5.3.1.
Senate
148
5.3.2.
Organic Statutes
149
5.3.3.
President
150
5.3.4.
Constitutional Council
150
6.
Netherlands
153
6.1.
Second Chamber
153
6.2.
First Chamber
155
6.3.
Legislative Process
156
6.3.1.
Statutes for the Netherlands in Europe
157
6.3.2.
King
158
6.3.3.
Statutes for the Overall Kingdom
159
6.3.4.
Consultative Referenda
159
7.
European Union
160
7.1.
Commission
161
7.2.
Council
161
7.3.
European Parliament
162
7.4.
EU Lawmaking
162
7.5.
Role of Member States and their Parliaments in EU Lawmaking
163
ch. 5
Governments, their Parliaments and their Heads of State
165
1.
Overview
165
1.1.
Heads of State and Government
165
1.2.
Rank of the Prime Minister
169
1.3.
Parliamentary Investiture
170
1.4.
Ministerial Accountability
171
1.5.
Parliamentary Scrutiny
176
1.6.
National Parliaments and the European Union
177
1.7.
Immunity of the Head of State
178
1.8.
Dissolution of Parliament
180
1.9.
Summary
182
1.10.
Further Reading
183
2.
United States
183
2.1.
President and Vice-President
184
2.2.
President and Congress
187
2.3.
Congressional Scrutiny
188
3.
Germany
189
3.1.
Federal President
189
3.2.
Chancellor and his Government
191
3.3.
Ministerial Accountability
192
3.4.
Parliamentary Scrutiny
194
3.5.
Confidence Question
194
4.
United Kingdom
196
4.1.
King
196
4.2.
Prime Minister and his Cabinet
197
4.3.
Parliamentary Scrutiny
199
4.4.
Ministerial Accountability
199
5.
France
201
5.1.
President
202
5.2.
Prime Minister and his Government
203
5.3.
Ministerial Accountability
204
5.4.
Parliamentary Scrutiny
206
6.
Netherlands
206
6.1.
King
207
6.2.
Prime Minister and his Cabinet
208
6.3.
Ministerial Accountability
209
6.4.
Motions of No Confidence
211
6.5.
Parliamentary Scrutiny
213
6.6.
Government of the Kingdom
213
7.
European Union
214
7.1.
Multiple Presidents
214
7.2.
Motions of No Confidence
215
7.3.
Accountabilities and Dual Legitimacy
216
7.4.
Parliamentary Scrutiny
217
ch. 6
Judicial Review and Human Rights
219
1.
Overview
219
1.1.
Constitutional Review of Legislation
220
1.2.
Procedural Setting of Constitutional Review
222
1.3.
Review of Treaty Law Compliance
224
1.4.
European Union Law
227
1.5.
Summary
229
1.6.
Further Reading
230
2.
United States
230
2.1.
Court System
230
2.2.
Constitutional Review
233
2.3.
International Treaties
235
3.
Germany
236
3.1.
Court System
236
3.2.
Constitutional Review
238
3.3.
International Treaties and the ECHR
240
3.4.
European Union Law
241
4.
United Kingdom
242
4.1.
Court System
242
4.2.
Constitutional Review
243
4.3.
International Treaties and the ECHR
243
4.4.
European Union Law
245
5.
France
246
5.1.
Court System
246
5.2.
Constitutional Review
247
5.3.
International Treaties and the ECHR
248
5.4.
European Union Law
249
6.
Netherlands
250
6.1.
Court System
250
6.2.
Constitutional Review
250
6.3.
International Treaties and the ECHR
251
6.4.
European Union Law
252
7.
European Union
253
7.1.
EU Courts
253
7.2.
National Courts and EU
254
7.3.
EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
254
8.
European Human Rights
255
9.
ECHR, the European Union and the National Constitutions
258
ch. 7
Concluding Comparative Comments
261
1.
Constitutions as Balancing Acts
262
2.
Multiple European Legal Orders and Multi-Level Governance
264
Annex 1. List of Tables, Charts and Graphs
267
Annex 2. Useful Links
269
Annex 3. Exercises and Model Exam Questions
271
Annex 4. Glossary
277
Annex 5. Overview of Constitutions Compared
283
Annex 6. The Constitution of the United States
285
Annex 7. The French Constitution
301
Annex 8. French Declaration of the Rights of Man
325
Annex 9. The German Basic Law
327
Annex 10. The Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands
377
Annex 11. The Dutch Constitution
391
Annex 12. Selected Statutory Provisions from the United Kingdom
409
Annex 13. The European Convention on Human Rights
427
Annex 14. The Treaty on European Union and Protocols 1 and 2
443
Annex 15. Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
463