), it does raise the question of whether a "wiki-constitution" is sufficiently entrenched to even be considered something separate and above normal legislation.
Critics agree that much of Southeast Asia desperately needs judicial reform and rule of law. Yet, there is remarkably little comparative scholarship on law and legal institutions in the region. In this blog, I'll follow constitutional developments in Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Showing posts with label constitutions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label constitutions. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Wiki-Constitutions
Not Southeast Asia-related per se, but here's an interesting article in The New Republic about how some Latin American constitutions have become extremely malleable and easy to amend. This situation is somewhat similar to Malaysia before the 2008 elections (when UMNO lost its supermajority). UMNO had rammed through frequent constitutional amendments (according to some estimates, over 42 packages totaling over 650 individual amendments). While flexibility is not totally undesirable (and might be linked to the endurance of constitutions), it does raise the question of whether a "wiki-constitution" is sufficiently entrenched to even be considered something separate and above normal legislation.
), it does raise the question of whether a "wiki-constitution" is sufficiently entrenched to even be considered something separate and above normal legislation.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Book Review: How old is your constitution?
[This isn't a strictly Southeast Asia book, but it includes several case studies from Asia, including Thailand, China, and Japan]
According to murmurs in Congress (particularly from Tom Coburn's office), there has been some debate recently about the value of political science as a discipline. As such, this seems like the perfect time for The Endurance of National Constitution
s to debut. This book should be required reading for anybody in the rule of law sector, especially consultants advising governments on drafting a new constitution.
According to murmurs in Congress (particularly from Tom Coburn's office), there has been some debate recently about the value of political science as a discipline. As such, this seems like the perfect time for The Endurance of National Constitution
s to debut. This book should be required reading for anybody in the rule of law sector, especially consultants advising governments on drafting a new constitution.
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