Principles of French Constitutional Law

Principles of French Constitutional Law offers a concise and accessible account of the key principles and rules of constitutional law in the French legal system. With its particular historical background since the chaotic post-revolutionary period and current specific mechanisms, French constitutional law offers a fascinating object of study for anyone interested in public law and the broader area of comparative constitutional studies.

This textbook will equip students with an understanding of the current Fifth Republic and how constitutional rules are adopted and applied, and affect other areas of law and politics. It offers a critical account of the 1958 Constitution’s past, present and future by placing it in its political and socio-historical contexts and critically assessing contemporary developments and constitutional reforms. Given the growing expansion of this branch of law in the French legal system (in particular the case law on the priority preliminary rulings on the issue of constitutionality) and the growing relevance of comparative legal studies, the book will make a significant contribution to the knowledge exchange in teaching and learning.

Principles of French Constitutional Law will be structured around the following main themes: (i) The bases of French constitutional law with theoretical developments about key notions of constitutional law such as the state, the constitution, as well as historical background of French constitutional law (ii) The Fifth Republic of France with coverage of the main powers, namely executive, legislative and judiciary with particular emphasis on constitutional review and justice and (iii) A practical part on legal education dealing with the emergence of French constitutional law as an academic subject of research and teaching, as well as with the method of teaching as illustrated by typical legal exercises.