Constitution Building in Africa

About

Creating and sustaining democracy and the rule of law in Africa remains an urgent challenge. A spate of coups in recent years has shown how fragile constitutional orders can be. Elections are often high-risk moments, and human rights abuses persist. Yet across the continent, many brave and committed citizens are striving for change — and constitutional reform is one of their most powerful tools.
This intensive summer course examines how constitutions in Africa are made, changed, and implemented — why some constitution-making processes succeed and why many fail, and how constitution-making processes and constitutions themselves may shape political transformation.
Drawing on past and current constitution-making processes, among other things, the course will cover constitution-making and design, how constitutions reflect historical legacies and are influenced by regional and international interests, and their potential to foster inclusive, democratic societies and to respond to new challenges such as climate change and insecurity.

Limited number of tuition waivers and scholarships are available.

Course leader

Markus Böckenförde (Legal Studies Department, Central European University), Christina Murray (Department of Public Law, University of Cape Town)

Target group

The course targets (post-)graduate students, researchers, and scholars working on constitution building in Africa, as well as practitioners with field experience, including civil servants.
Practitioners who are particularly welcome in the course include, among others, staff of the United Nations and regional organizations such as the AU and EU, members of constitution-making bodies, politicians, and staff of NGOs and IGOs concerned with constitution-building in Africa.

Fee info