NEW APPROACHES IN QUANTITATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL STUDIES

Comparative constitutional studies has been energised by the application and development of quantitative and computational methods. This panel showcases how three cutting-edge approaches cast new light on central topics within the field: the use of agent-based models to simulate the development of judicial power; the use of natural language processing methods to measure constitutional change;...

Panel 174, WEDNESDAY JUNE 27 2018 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM

CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY IN CRISIS III

The early twenty-first century appears of be a period of turmoil in many seemingly stable constitutional democracies. This panel and two others discuss such questions as these: Are there general forces weakening constitutional democracy around the world, or are there nation-specific reasons for crises that simply happen to be occurring at roughly the same time?...

Panel 148, WEDNESDAY JUNE 27 2018 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM

PARLIAMENTARY CONTROL OF EXECUTIVE POWER: TRACING THE GAPS OF INFORMATION

This panel centres on the role of information in the parliamentary control of executive power. It maps and analyses the challenges of information asymmetries in security and finance as two fields where executive privileges predominate. Despite a vast literature on issues of parliamentary control, the specific features and consequences of gaps of information have been...

Panel 171, WEDNESDAY JUNE 27 2018 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM

“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown“: when national executives are under siege – a South African perspective

The executive branch wields a considerable amount of power. If this power, however, is abused or captured by third parties it may have dire consequences for a state‘s democratic system, people, and economy. Recently the situation in South Africa with regard to the President (national execuitve) has become increasingly strained. The South African President seems...

Panel 149, WEDNESDAY JUNE 27 2018 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM

A Comparative Study of the Preliminary Reference Procedure under the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

This paper discusses the preliminary reference procedure under Article 158(3) of the Hong Kong Basic Law and its transplantation from Article 267 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (EU). It argues that this part of Hong Kong constitutional law is woefully underdeveloped due in large part to the unwillingness of the...

Panel 160, WEDNESDAY JUNE 27 2018 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM