Whose Constitution(s)? International Law, Constitutionalism, and Democracy

Control by aggregation? Critical reflections on global constitutionalism in the shadow of looming transnational emergency powers

“…The contrast between articulation and aggregation sheds light on the structural weakness of the project of global constitutionalism without being entangled with the intractable question of demos, which has long dominated the debate as to whether global constitutionalism can be a practicable political project (Krisch, 2010, pp. 55-56; see also Besson, 2009). While it is beyond the scope of this article to hammer out a constitutional design to tame transnational emergency powers, articulation, as discussed above, is nevertheless a direction for further thought in conceiving of the future of global constitutionalism.…”

Human rights as transnational constitutional law

“…Since 1945, human rights have been protected through both domestic (constitutional) human rights law (DHRL) and international2 (universal and/or regionaP) human rights law (IHRL), and monitored and interpreted by their corresponding domestic and international human rights institutions. 4 This has led to well-known and extensive discussions about the dual (see Neuman 2003;Waldron 2011;Besson 2015aBesson , 2017a constitutionalization (or positivization) of human rights and/or about the duality of constitutional law itself (see Kumm 2009Kumm , 2012Besson 2009aBesson , 2014Krisch 2010). Previous discussions have explored this constitutional duality by looking at how international human rights law may be regarded as a (formal or material) constitutional regime within international law (see Gardbaum 2008;Besson 2009a), on the one hand, and at how it may endorse a constitutional function domestically and/or internationally (see Gardbaum 2008;Besson 2015a), on the other.…”

“…4 This has led to well-known and extensive discussions about the dual (see Neuman 2003;Waldron 2011;Besson 2015aBesson , 2017a constitutionalization (or positivization) of human rights and/or about the duality of constitutional law itself (see Kumm 2009Kumm , 2012Besson 2009aBesson , 2014Krisch 2010). Previous discussions have explored this constitutional duality by looking at how international human rights law may be regarded as a (formal or material) constitutional regime within international law (see Gardbaum 2008;Besson 2009a), on the one hand, and at how it may endorse a constitutional function domestically and/or internationally (see Gardbaum 2008;Besson 2015a), on the other. This chapter takes the debate one step further and complements these dual approaches to human rights law with a more integrated conception or, in short, with a truly transnational or global5 * Many thanks to Tony Lang and Antje Wiener for their invitation to contribute; to Folke Tersman, Patricia Mindus and the participants in the Higher Philosophy Seminar at the University of Uppsala on 26 February 2016 for their comments; to Jose Luis Marti and Andreas F0llesdal and the participants in the Barcelona workshop on 6-7 May 2016 for their feedback; and to Allen Buchanan for our many exchanges on human rights epistemology.…”

“…'Constitutionalism' amounts to any kind of theory pertaining to the existence or content of constitutional law. See also Besson (2009a). 2 This chapter focuses on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the European Court of Human Rights' (ECtHR's) case-law.…”

Suprastaatliche Verfassungspolitik und die Methode der rationalen Rekonstruktion

“…2 Innerhalb der supranationalen Gemeinschaft teilen sich die Gesamtheit der europäischen Bürgerinnen und die Völker der Mitgliedsstaaten die Position des Trägers der konstituierenden Gewalt. Diese theoretische Konstruktion ergibt sich nach Habermas' (2011: 61, Hervorhebung (Besson 2009;Patberg 2013). Zum anderen stellt es diejenigen vor eine neue Herausforderung, die sich im Rahmen einer methodischen Debatte damit befassen, wie Habermas' Begriff der rationalen Rekonstruktion zu verstehen ist und welches Potenzial Rekonstruktion als Methode der Politischen Theorie besitzt (Pedersen 2008;Gaus 2013).…”