Constitutional Theory and Practice Notes | LL.M. (Two Years) Semester 1 | KSLU | munotes

Contents

Unit I

1. Constitutional Theory and Practice: What This Paper Covers, and How to Read This Book 1
2. What a Constitution Is, and What It Is For 7
3. The Evolution of Constitutional Values 12
4. The Requisites of an Ideal Constitution 18
5. What Constitutionalism Means, and Why a Constitution Is Not Enough 24
6. The Development of Constitutionalism, and the Liberal Democratic Case for It 30
7. The Elements of Constitutionalism, Listed and Explained 36
8. Constitutional Supremacy and Parliamentary Sovereignty 42
9. A Constitution Without Constitutionalism 47
10. Constituent Power and Amending Power 52
11. The Amending Power, and the Road to Kesavananda 58
12. Express Limits on Amendment 63
13. Judicial Review of a Constitutional Amendment 67
14. The Basic Structure Doctrine 71
15. Basic Structure After Kesavananda 76
16. Transformative Constitutionalism 82
17. Constitutional Morality 87

Unit II

1. What the State Is: The Concept and Its Meaning 92
2. The Constituent Elements of the State 101
3. The Social Contract or Consent Theory of the State 108
4. Hobbes: The Contract Into Absolute Sovereignty 114
5. Locke: The Contract as a Trust 120
6. Rousseau: The General Will 125
7. Karl Marx and the Theory of the State 130
8. Idealism: Background, Statement, Merits and Limitations 135
9. Hegel on the State 139
10. T. H. Green on Political Obligation 143
11. Bosanquet and the Philosophical Theory of the State 147
12. Ancient Indian Political Thought and the Saptanga Theory 153
13. Raja Dharma: The Duty of the Ruler 162
14. Raja Ram Mohan Roy on the State and Its Functions 166
15. Gandhiji's Political Thought 171
16. Gandhian Gram Swaraj 176
17. Nehru on the Functions of the State 181
18. Ambedkar on the Functions of the State 186
19. The Directive Principles and the Welfare State 191
20. The Model of the Indian Constitution 198

Unit III

1. What Pluralism Means 203
2. India as a Plural Society 207
3. Multiculturalism, and the Indian Version of It 211
4. Religious Pluralism 215
5. Linguistic Pluralism, and Part XVII 220
6. Ethnic Pluralism 227
7. Secularism as India Practises It 232
8. The Fifth Schedule and the Scheduled Areas 237
9. The North East: Articles 371A to 371J and the Sixth Schedule 242
10. Society, the State and the Individual 247
11. Religion, Establishment and the Secular State 253
12. Language and Religion in a Plural State 259
13. Ethnic Minorities and Multiculturalism in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada 264

Unit IV

1. Internal Aids to the Interpretation of the Constitution 269
2. The Preamble, and What a Court May Do With It 274
3. The Titles, the Preamble, Headings and Marginal Notes as Aids 279
4. Non-abrogation and Non-derogation Provisions 285
5. Definitions, Illustrations, Exceptions, Provisos and Saving Clauses 290
6. External Aids to the Interpretation of the Constitution 295
7. Legislative History and Parliamentary Debates 300
8. Dictionaries and Contemporanea Expositio 305
9. The Original Intention Theory 310
10. Values and Approaches that Influence Constitutional Interpretation 315
11. The Judicial Process in Pursuit of Constitutional Goals and Values 319
12. Interpreting the Constitution as a Value Document: Purposive Interpretation 323
13. The Constitution as a Living Document 327
14. Reading Down, Reading Up and Reading In 331

Unit V

1. The Inter-relationship of Fundamental Rights 335
2. Interpreting the Constitution as a Legal Document: Literal Interpretation and Its Limits 340
3. The Literal Rule 344
4. Statutes Are Presumed to Be Valid: the Presumption of Constitutionality 350
5. Constitutional Interpretation 355
6. Repugnancy: Article 254 359
7. Pith and Substance, Colourable Legislation and Incidental Encroachment 364
8. Colourable Legislation and Incidental Encroachment 370
9. The Doctrine of the Occupied Field 375
10. Eclipse, Severability and Waiver 380
11. The Rule of Harmonious Construction 386
12. Avoiding the Fallacies of Hyper-integration and Disintegration 393
13. Secondary Rules: Noscitur a Sociis, Ejusdem Generis and Reddendo Singula Singulis 397