HUMAN RIGHTS AND CONSTITUTION MAKING

HUMAN RIGHTS AND

CONSTITUTION MAKING

HUMAN RIGHTS AND

CONSTITUTION MAKING

New York and Geneva, 2018

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HUMAN RIGHTS AND CONSTITUTION MAKING

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Sales no.: E.17.XIV.4

ISBN: 978-92-1-154221-9

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 1

I. CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ......................... 2

A. Why a rights-based approach to constitutional reform? .................... 3

1. Framing the issue ....................................................................... 3

2. The constitutional State ................................................................ 6

3. Functions of the constitution in the contemporary world ................... 7

4. The constitution and democratic governance .................................. 8

5. Constitutional guarantees of fundamental rights ............................ 10

B. Human rights and the process of constitutional reform ................... 11

1. Ownership of constitutional reforms ............................................ 12

2. Public participation in constitutional reforms................................. 14

3. The human rights framework for constitutional reforms .................. 16

II. CONSTITUTIONAL BILL OF RIGHTS ................................................. 20

A. The constitutional bill of rights and international human rights

standards ..................................................................................... 21

1. International human rights law ................................................... 21

2. Domestic law and its relationship to international

human rights law ...................................................................... 23

B. Drafting a constitutional bill of rights: General requirements ........... 31

1. Conformity with assessments dominating in the society .................. 31

2. Compliance with international human rights standards .................. 33

3. Scope of the constitutional language ........................................... 35

4. Internal coherence .................................................................... 36

5. Normative content .................................................................... 36

6. Implementation and limitations ................................................... 40

7. Communicativeness ................................................................... 43

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HUMAN RIGHTS AND CONSTITUTION MAKING

C. Content of the constitutional bill of rights ....................................... 44

1. The rights holder ...................................................................... 44

2. Duty bearers ............................................................................ 51

3. Fundamental principles ............................................................. 57

4. Categories of rights and freedoms .............................................. 68

5. Permissibility of limitations ......................................................... 83

6. Protection of rights and state of emergency .................................. 87

7. Legal duties of the individual...................................................... 90

D. Institutional and procedural guarantees of rights............................ 96

1. Implementation of the constitution and human rights...................... 96

2. Institutional safeguards .............................................................. 98

3. Specific guarantees ................................................................ 105

4. Access to bodies and procedures established under

international law .................................................................... 121

III. OHCHR AND HUMAN RIGHTS MECHANISMS .............................. 124

A. Contribution of human rights mechanisms.................................... 125

1. Application of international human rights law by States............... 125

2. Protection of substantive human rights ....................................... 128

B. Objectives, forms and methodology of assistance programmes .... 134

C. Partnerships ............................................................................... 138

SOURCES AND REFERENCES ............................................................ 139

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