Annual Review of Constitution-Building: 2023

International IDEA's Annual Review of Constitution-Building 2023 provides a look back on global constitutional shifts, the forces behind them, and their impact on domestic and international affairs. The Annual Review covers diverse topics related to the process and substance of constitutions, from general themes such as non-crisis-driven constitutional review to specifics such as the right to cash transactions. It notes a gap: nations where post-conflict constitutional reviews are underway have seen processes stall and conflicts reignite. 

In 2023, many high-profile constitution-building efforts saw little actual advancement. Progress was observed in countries that managed to enact targeted amendments or witnessed changes driven by current governments, with West Africa seeing numerous military-led coups influencing constitutional reforms, leading to new constitutions in Mali and Chad, among others in progress.

Contents

Introduction 
Sumit Bisarya

1. Constitutional reform in the Commonwealth Caribbean
W. Elliot Bulmer

2. Ex ante constitutional principles: A useful yardstick for complex processes?
Kimana Zulueta-Fülscher

3. Divergent paths: Post-coup constitutions in Chad and Mali
Adem Kassie Abebe

4. Constitutional review in the absence of crisis in Botswana, Sweden and Wales
Sumit Bisarya

5. Constitutional innovations in environmental and climate action: Rights, litigation and statehood redefined
Juliane Müller

6. Identity-driven debates on the right to cash: Constitutionalizing euro-scepticism?
Sharon Pia Hickey