Definition and scope of constitutional law

The starting-point for studying constitutional law should ideally be the same starting-point as for studying political philosophy, or the role of law and government in society. How is individual freedom to be reconciled with the claims of social justice? Is society founded upon a reciprocal network of rights and duties, or is the individual merely a pawn in the hands of state power?

These fundamental questions are often not pursued explicitly in the study of constitutional law. Constitutional law concerns the relationship between the individual and the state. As a historian has stated, law is not merely a matter of the rales which govern relations between private individuals (for example between husband and wife, or between landlord and tenant). Law also concerns the structure and powers of the state. The constitutional lawyer is always likely to insist that the relations between the individual and the state should be founded upon and governed by law.

But law does not exist in a social and political vacuum. Within a given society, the legal rales that concern relations between husband and wife will reflect that society's attitude to marriage. So too the rales of constitutional law, that govern political relations, will within a given society reflect a par­ticular distribution of political power. In a stable society, constitutional law expresses what may be a very high degree of consensus about the organs and procedures by which political decisions are taken.

Within a stable democracy, constitutional law reflects the value that people attach to orderly human relations, to individual freedom under the law, and to institutions such as parliament, political parties, free elections, and a free press. Laws are the product of human decisions. As Lord Acton said, 'Power tends to corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt abso­lutely'. But the weaknesses and imperfections of human nature are not a reason for discarding law as a means of regulating political conduct. The laws of football are often broken. But if we shoot the referee and tear up the rules, football as an organized activity ceases to exist.

Total disbelief in the value of the individual or in the possibility of public good is therefore a bad starting-point for studying constitutional law. But there is no need to go to the other extreme that in Great Britain we have a matchless constitution. Constitutional law is one branch of human learning and experience that helps to make life in today's world more tolerable and less brutish than it might otherwise be.

Notes

be reconciled with — быть согласованным с

reciprocal network — взаимная (двусторонняя) связь

pawn in the hands of state power - залог в руках государственной

власти

be pursued explicitly - проводиться ясно apply logical criteria - применять логические критерии within a given society — в пределах (в рамках) данного общества merely — просто, только govern political relations — управлять политическими

отношениями

reflect a particular distribution of political power - отражать опре­деленное разделение политической власти very high degree of consensus — очень высокий уровень согласия attach to orderly human relations - распространяться на упоря­доченные (организованные) человеческие отношения individual freedom under the law — свобода личности по закону weaknesses and imperfections of human nature - слабости и недо­статки человеческой натуры

reason for discarding law — основание для отступления от закона means of regulating political conduct - способ регулирования по­литического поведения tear up the rules — нарушать правила cease to exist — прекратить существование total disbelief in the value of the individual or in the possibility of public good — полное неверие в ценность личности или в

возможность общественного добра matchless constitution — неподходящая конституция one branch of human learning and experience - одна ветвь челове­ческого знания и опыта

make life more tolerable and less brutish — сделать жизнь более

терпимой и менее жестокой

Упражнения

*1. Соотнесите слова в левой колонке с их определениями в правой.

1. rale a. operating for both (equally or to a similar degree)

2. reciprocal b. to adjust the way you think about (a fact or situation"

3. reconcile that is opposed to another fact or situation so that

4. society you can accept both)

5. matchless с a system in which people live together in organized

6. experience communities

 

7. imperfection d. a legal principle

8. tolerable e. weak point

9. cease f. stop an action or condition

g. not of a standard or quality that cannot be equaled h. of a quality that is acceptable but not wonderful i. the process of getting knowledge or skill