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Controlling the ‘Gorgon’ of state power in the state of exception: a reply to Professor Tushnet

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 March 2008

Colm O’Cinneide
Colm O’Cinneide*
Affiliation:
University College London1
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Abstract

Mark Tushnet’s paper is an interesting extension of his recent work on how constitutional democracies can control the use of emergency powers. His analysis is useful in drawing attention to the often-overlooked impact of political dynamics in times of emergency. However, Tushnet is too ready to accept that political processes will be able to control the grant and use of emergency powers. He also is too quick to draw a sharp dichotomy between effective political and ineffective legal processes. Political processes can be active and useful in reining in the excesses of emergency powers, but usually only if they play out against the backdrop of a vibrant constitutional culture where the potential for abuse of emergency powers is recognised. The impact of legal and supranational controls plays an important role in shaping this constitutional culture, in particular by ‘dampening’ down the abuse of emergency powers and limiting the scope of action available to the executive. Focusing upon the potential of political means alone to control the application of state power in emergency states of exception is to underestimate the capacity of wider constitutional dynamics to play a key role, even if the political arena may be where the ultimate battles are fought out.

Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Law in Context , Volume 3 , Issue 4 , December 2007 , pp. 289 - 303
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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