Introduction

Welcome to your studies of Constitutions in transition. This course, Constitutions in transition, focuses on different concepts of constitutions. The course begins with a general introduction to the concept of what a constitution is. Then the following sections give an overview of three constitutional frameworks for you to explore – those of South Africa, Germany and Canada. These compare to, but are different from, the UK’s constitutional framework. The final section of this course will then embrace a comparative analysis by looking at the UK’s constitutional framework. None of the constitutions referred to above can be looked at outside the historical context of their nations. The constitutions analyzed in this course were a product of both evolution and revolution and you need to be aware of those circumstances when engaging in the study of those constitutional frameworks. An interactive map will support this by allowing you to engage with the history of the nations mentioned above. This will support an in-depth understanding of the constitutional frameworks under discussion.

Course learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• Understand the general concept of a constitutional framework
• Understand the factors contributing to constitutional change – both evolutionary and revolutionary – by looking at the constitutional frameworks of South Africa, Germany, Canada and the UK
• Identify and describe key characteristics of the UK constitution
• Understand the historic aspects of the constitutional developments of the UK and their relevance in constitutional law today
• Reflect critically on the UK constitution by studying and comparing the constitutional frameworks and history of South Africa, Germany and Canada.