Verfassungsinterpretation

The constitution is the fundamental law of a democratic rule of law. As such, it is the highest national legal decree and a foundational political document. This dual nature of the constitution affects the interpretation of the constitutions of individual states by their respective constitutional interpreters. While the generally accepted methods of legal interpretation also apply to constitutional texts, this alone does not do justice to the meaning and spirit, as well as the political guiding function of a constitution. At the same time, every constitutional state is embedded in a web of international regulations and their interpretation by international bodies. This relationship is inherently not free of tension. The contributions in the conference proceedings highlight the similarities and differences in various understandings of constitutions, including among common law states, and particularly relate them to the overarching European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).