On 13 May 2021, a panel of five High Court justices ruled that the so-called Basic Structure Doctrine applies in Kenya. The judgment is not only a milestone from the perspective of comparative constitutional law; it might also change the future landscape of constitutionalism in Africa.
In the recent global history of constitutional democracies, it is difficult to name a single crisis that has plagued them simultaneously, until the COVID-19 pandemic. The calamity brought in by the virus was universal. For governments, it presented an opportunity for crisis management without compromising rights guarantees. Some countries have marginally succeeded in this test while in others, concerns of democratic decline were amplified. Three features defined the Indian response to COVID-19: lack of transparency, executive monopoly and suppression of dissent.
India is not only the world’s largest democracy, it also accounts for the largest number of internet shutdowns and take down requests to social media companies globally. The recent stand-off between Twitter and the Government of India (GoI) over suspending more than a thousand accounts supportive of farmers’ protests ended with Twitter falling in line with the GoI’s demands. This may set a dangerous precedent for digital platforms enabling other democratic governments to stifle online dissent.
Indien hat einen Supreme Court, aber kein Verfassungsgericht – aber nach Meinung von K. G. Balakrishnan, Chief Justice des Supreme Court of India, sollte es einen haben. Dessen Aufgabe, so der oberste Richter in der Zeitung „The Hindu“, wäre, to deal exclusively with matters relating to the Constitution, inter-State water disputes, and disputes and crimes of a ›federal‹ nature. Das zeigt, scheint mir, dass Kelsens große Idee auch in der Welt des Common Law Verbreitung findet. Balakrishnan verweist auf das Vorbild Südafrika, wo es ebenfalls einen eigenen Verfassungsgerichtshof gibt. Interessant auch ein weiterer Vorschlag Balakrishnans: Verhandlungen sollten per Fernsehen übertragen ... continue reading
13. September 2025
Giovanni Capoccia
12. September 2025
Anne Peters
12. September 2025
Anne Peters