Reboot Special #3 | On Constitutional Reform

Moderated by Nico A. Heller
Live on YouTube | Tuesday, 25 July 2023 | Starting at 04:00 PM CET

Written constitutions, such as the American or the German Constitution, are treated often almost like divine texts or laws (timeless and eternal, written in stone), that can be referred to by anyone, but only a 'chosen few' (constitutional judges) are allowed to interpret them, when it comes to legal disputes.

Yet, all constitutions are products of their time and to maintain legitimacy sometimes need changing/reforming.

Kenya is a case in point: Following the post-election violence that broke out after the December 2007 presidential elections, a reform process was set in motion that led to the adoption of a new constitution in 2010, which contributed significantly to the stabilisation of Kenyan democracy post 2007.

In this round table on constitutional reform we look at three very different contexts: the US, a mature/old democracy, the European Union, an emerging/young supranational democracy, and Mali, a highly fragile state. We will be talking about the scope for and possible impacts of constitutional reform within these specific contexts and share insights gained and lessons learned within one context that might be of use in another.

Joining Nico for this Reboot Special are John Davenport (US), Professor of Philosophy at Fordham University and author of Saving American Democracy: The Case for Constitutional Reform in the US (2023), Ali Al Hajj Sleiman (Mali), Deputy Country Director and Electoral advisor for the NDI Mali, and Roberto Castaldi (Italy), Associate Professor of Political Philosophy at eCampus University and General Editor of EURACTIV Italy.

For more information about John Davenport, Ali Al Hajj Sleiman​and and Roberto Castaldi, please visit our contributors' page. This Reboot Special builds on a previous Reboot Dialogue and is presented by Nico A. Heller.