Constitutionalism is considered vital to political stability and socio-economic progress in the Global South. However, the model of constitutionalism that is often employed to evaluate and critique constitutional and political developments in the Global South is one that has been borrowed from the Global North. This course will explore multiple approaches to constitutionalism, characterized by both convergence and divergence, in several states in the Global South and interrogate whether there are emerging models of constitutionalism that are increasingly defining South-South interactions.
The course will specifically focus on the constitutional history, politics, and social movements structured around constitutional demands within selected states in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The framework for analysis will include questions regarding the extent to which constitutions have been the site of state formation, and why social movements for fundamental political and socio-economic change have often been structured around certain sets of constitutional demands. The course will also address questions regarding the legacy of colonialism on constitutional arrangements, legal systems, political configurations and social hierarchies in the Global South.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Analyse and explain the role constitutionalism plays in achieving political stability and socio-economic development;
- Demonstrate the ability to contextualise the debates on constitutional law and structures in the constitutional histories, politics and social landscapes of the Global South;
- Explain, assess and evaluate the ways in which the relationships between the state, society and publics become codified in diverse ways in different jurisdictions of the Global South;
- Explain, distinguish and critically evaluate the diverse range of constitutional models in the Global South;
- Plan and execute complex legal research with independence in order to produce original scholarship on constitutionalism in the context of the Global South.
Indicative Assessment
- Students must rely on the approved Class Summary which will be posted to the Programs and Courses site approximately 2 weeks prior to the commencement of the course. (null) [LO null]
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
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Workload
Classes offered in non-standard sessions will be taught on an intensive base with compulsory contact hours (approximately 26 hours of face to face teaching). The course will also require advanced preparation through assigned readings. In total, it is anticipated that the hours required for completion of this course (class preparation, teaching and completion of assessment) will not exceed 120 hours. Classes offered during semester periods are expected to have 3 contact hours per week.
Click here for the LLM Masters Program timetable.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Students must rely on the approved Class Summary which will be posted to the Programs and Courses site approximately 2 weeks prior to the commencement of the course.
Preliminary Reading
An e-brick will be available on the Wattle course site.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 3
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $4320 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $5760 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.