Constitutional Change and Constitutionalism in Africa

The new generation of African constitutions crafted in the 1990s marked the beginning of a trend that promised a radical transformation of the continent's governance landscape. This movement aimed to eliminate the risks of coups and political instability that had plagued Africa since the 1960s by embedding democracy and constitutionalism. However, the wave of constitutional reforms post-1990s seems to have sparked a contagious fever of making, unmaking, and remaking constitutions. The nature and frequency of these changes threaten to undermine the progress made in entrenching a culture of constitutionalism, good governance, and respect for the rule of law. It is, therefore, no surprise that there is almost universal agreement that Africa is now facing a profound crisis of democracy and constitutionalism.

Constitutional Change and Constitutionalism in Africa examines the nature and extent of these changes, which have been occurring more frequently and sometimes more arbitrarily than anticipated. Among the main questions investigated are the constitution-making process and the roles of various internal actors, such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary, as well as external actors like the African Union and Regional Economic Communities, in the different processes of constitutional change.

Ultimately, the discussions aim to explore how the processes of constitutional change, whether inevitable and unavoidable or contrived, can be conducted in a manner that does not undermine or threaten the efforts to entrench democracy, constitutionalism, good governance, and respect for the rule of law on the African continent.