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Constitutional pluralism: An oxymoron?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 February 2014

MARTIN LOUGHLIN*
Affiliation:
London School of Economics, Department of Law, Houghton Street, London WC2 2AE

Abstract

This article examines the origins of the concept of constitutional pluralism that has emerged in the last decade and it critically assesses the claims of its advocates. It argues that the claims made on behalf of the concept cannot be sustained and seeks to show that constitutional pluralism is an oxymoronic concept.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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References

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27 Walker (n 24) 337.

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29 Ibid 340.

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36 See Weiler, JHH, ‘Prologue: Global and Pluralist Constitutionalism – Some Doubts’ in de Búrca, G and Weiler, JHH (eds), The Worlds of European Constitutionalism (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2011) 8Google Scholar: ‘Constitutional Pluralism is today the only party membership card which will guarantee a seat at the high table of the public law professoriate.’ For a comprehensive overview of the state of the play with respect to this concept see Avbelj and Komárek (n 35).

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40 This amounts to the pursuit of Walker’s innovative claim that constitutionalism is to be treated as a medium to its ultimate point: see text at (n 29).

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42 M Loughlin, ‘In Defence of Staatslehre’ (2009) 48 Der Staat 2–27.

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44 M Poiares Maduro, ‘Three Claims of Constitutional Pluralism’ in Avbelj and Komárek (n 35) 67–84, 67, 68.

45 Ibid 70.

46 Ibid 70.

47 Ibid 73. Somek’s question is posed in A Somek, ‘Monism: A Tale of the Undead?’ in Avbelj and Komárek (n 35) 343–79.

48 Maduro (n 44) 75

49 Ibid 75

50 Ibid 76

51 Ibid 76–7.

52 Case C-147/03 (7 July 2005).

53 Maduro (n 44) 77.

54 Case C-438/05 (11 December 2007).

55 Maduro (n 44) 77.

56 Ibid.

57 Ibid 77–8.

58 Ibid 78.

59 Ibid.

60 Ibid 78–9.

61 Ibid 79.

62 Ibid 82.

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