The Parliamentarian


Book Description




Constitutional Origins, Structure, and Change in Federal Countries


Book Description

Providing examples of diverse forms of federalism, including new and mature, developed and developing, parliamentary and presidential, and common-law and civil law, the comparative studies in this volume analyse government in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United States. Each chapter describes the provisions of a constitution, explains the political, social, and historical factors that influenced its creation, and explores its practical application, how it has changed, and future challenges, offering valuable ideas and lessons for federal constitution-making and reform.Contributors include Ignatius Ayua Akaayar (Nigeria), Raoul Blindenbacher (Switzerland), Dakas C.J. Dakas (Nigeria), Kris Deschouwer (Belgium), Juan Marcos Gutiérrez González (Mexico), John Kincaid (USA), Rainer Knopff (Canada), Jutta Kramer (Germany), Akhtar Majeed (India), Marat S. Salikov (Russia), Cheryl Saunders (Australia), Anthony M. Sayers (Canada), Nicolas Schmitt (Switzerland), Celina Sousa (Brazil), Nico Steytler (South Africa), and G. Alan Tarr (USA).The Frech edition is Forthcoming in the Fall 2005 as Les origines, structure, et changements constitutionnels dans les pays fédéraux




The Effect of Religion on the Political Process


Book Description

Nigerians are troubled about the capability of political institutions in Nigeria to curb religious threats, thus maintaining security with minimum damage in preventing the occurrence of religious eruptions. The study examines the debate on institutionalizing the Islamic Law referred to as Sharia at the Federal level. The book ascertains the impact of religion (and ethnicity) on the Nigerian political institutions especially the Executive arm of the Government. The study examines the 1977 and 1988 Sharia debates at the Constituent Assemblies. Specific issues were addressed in the book, such as the Organization of Islamic Conference, Federal Government appointments, religious pilgrimages, the use of Arabic on Nigerian currencies, public holidays, work-free Friday, and the religious leaders, which affected the peaceful coexistence among Nigerians since the 1977 Sharia debate at the Constituent Assembly. The findings revealed that Nigerians were discontented with their political leaders over the use of religion in the public places. In addition to that, some Nigerian religious leaders infiltrated intra- and interreligious conflicts in Nigeria. However, the prospect of Nigeria as a nation lies with the leadership and followership. The study concludes that people's mentality determines the type of leaders they want, which is responsible for Nigeria's self-inflicted problems.




Between Babasaheb and Mahatma


Book Description

This book is a critical comparative study of Jotirao Phule and Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, modern India's two most prominent dalit leaders. Although they were not close contemporaries, they came to construct a firm structure of not only dalit ideology, but also dalit methodology to emancipate the oppressed and depressed sections of society. The book deals with their ideas in a new light highlighting aspects of convergence and contrast in their respective approach to philosophy, religion, society, and culture. It argues that deep down in his philosophic orientation, Phule was quintessentially closer to Gandhi than to Ambedkar. The author also contends that the usage of the term dalit exclusively in the caste-communitarian sense is essentially a product of post-independence political appropriation rather than social evolution. The book specifically brings to light the dynamics of humanism and nationalism on the one hand and that of communitarianism on the other in the context of twentieth-century colonial India. Notably, Gandhi is brought in the narrative to complete the triumvirate. Comprehensive and deeply grounded in primary research, this thought-provoking book will be indispensable for students and researchers of modern Indian history, sociology, political science, political thought, exclusion studies, dalit and subaltern studies, and South Asian studies. It will also appeal to those interested in the writings of Ambedkar and Phule.




Nigeria In Search Of A Stable Civil-military System


Book Description

This book is a critical study of the evolution and conduct of military government as well as civil-military relations in Nigeria since 1970, examining the essentially military clauses of both the draft and final Constitution drawn up for post-1979 Nigeria.




Between Centre and State


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Essays in Honour of Judge Taslim Olawale Elias


Book Description

Text no. 1: The variety of topics covered and the quality of the contributors make these two volumes a necessary part of any law library in the world. The essays are designed to overlap in the well-tested and established fields and branches of law dealing with contemporary issues which lawyers, diplomats, political scientists, politicians and research scholars are familiar with. The essays fully demonstrate the depth of knowledge of the eminent professors and specialists who have written them. The two volumes of essays are divided into seven parts. Volume One, entitled Contemporary International Law and Human Rights, focuses essentially on subjects relating to International Law and is divided into three sections. Part one of the first volume encompasses Topics in International Law such as Some New Thoughts on the Codification of International Law by his Excellency Judge Roberto Ago; Evidence in the Procedure of the International Court of Justice: The Role of the Court by His Excellency Judge Manfred Lachs; The Validity of International Law: an Empirical Experiment by Professor Georg Schwarzenberger, with a particularly engaging and incisive Introduction to the two volumes of Essays by Professor Ian Brownlie, Q.C. Human rights subjects still hold pride of place in the thinking of many legal experts and scholars and that is clearly reflected here. The title of the second volume is African Law and Comparative Public Law. Part Five of the essays contains topics of interest in the African Legal system which has its roots in the British Common Law System. Constitutional Law is broadly covered in part six which forms a section of its own in Volume Two. Text no. 2: This Festschrift pays tribute to Judge Taslim Olawale Elias, the leading African exponent of International Law to date. The two volumes of essays are divided into seven parts. The first volume focuses essentially on subjects relating to International Law and is divided into three sections. Part one of the first volume encompasses Topics in International Law such as Some New Thoughts on the Codification of International Law by His Excellency Judge Roberto Ago; Evidence in the Procedure of the International Court of Justice: The Role of the Court by His Excellency Jugde Manfred Lachs; The Validity of International Law: an Empirical Experiment by Professor Georg Schwarzenberger, with a particularly engaging and incisive Introduction to the two volumes of Essays by Professor Ian Brownlie, Q.C. Human Rights subjects still hold the pride of place in the thinking of many legal experts and scholars which is clearly reflected here. The title of the second volume is African Law and Comparative Public Law. Part five of the essays contains topics of interest in African Legal system which took its roots from the British Common Law System. Constitutional Law is bloadly covered in part six which forms a section of its own in volume two. Quite apart from the variety of topics covered in this festschrift, the quality of the contributors to it, makes the whole exercise a necessary part of an important collection of any law library in the world. The framework of the essays suggest that they are designed to overlap in the well-tested and established field of law and those branches of law dealing with contemporary issues which lawyers, diplomats, political scientists, politicians and research scholars are familiar with. The richness of the festschrift is m.