Political and Legal Constitutionalism

Ever since John Griffith delivered his 1979 Chorley Lecture entitled ‘The Political Constitution’, it has been commonplace to describe the British constitution as a political constitution.  In contemporary British constitutional thought, the idea of ‘political constitutionalism’ is often contrasted with so-called ‘legal constitutionalism’. In this seminar, Graham Gee and Aileen Kavanagh will discuss what these terms mean and what light they shed - if any - on the nature of the UK constitution.

Readings:

• Graham Gee & Gregoire Webber, 'What is a Political Constitution?' (2010) 30 OJLS 273-299
• Aileen Kavanagh, 'British Constitutionalism Beyond Polarities' (draft paper)

The seminar will be followed by a drinks reception, to which all are welcome. The seminar is sponsored by the Programme for the Foundations of Law and Constitutional Government, and forms part of a larger seminar series organised by Aileen Kavanagh.