Oxford LibGuides: Constitutions, constitutional &amp; administrative law: Constitutional Courts

Commentary on constitutional courts

In some jurisdictions, consitutitional matters are the preserve of a separate court. In others, such as England and Wales, the Supreme Court - the highest court of appeal in both civil and criminal matters - hears constitutional cases.

Some subject search terms to try in SOLO

Constitutional courts
Political questions and judicial power
Separation of powers
Judicial ethics
Judicial independence
Judicial review
Judicial process

Constitutional Courts : a comparative study by Andrew Harding; Peter Leyland (eds)
Call Number: General 510 H263c

ISBN: 0854900632

Publication Date: 2010
Judicial Power how constitutional courts affect political transformations by Christine Landfried (Editor)
Call Number: Holders of an Oxford SSO can read this online via title link

ISBN: 9781108425667

Publication Date: 2019

Print copy is at General 510 L256.3b
Use of Foreign Precedents by Constitutional Judges by Tania Groppi (Editor); Marie-Claire Ponthoreau (Editor)
Call Number: Holders of an Oxford SSO can read this online via title link

ISBN: 1849462712

Publication Date: 2013

Remote access requires Oxford SSO Print copy is at General 510 G876.7a
Ex-Ministers As Constitutional Judges by Mathias Möschel
Call Number: Holders of an Oxford SSO have current edition via Westlaw Books.

ISBN: 9780198930198

Publication Date: 2025-06-06

Examines the practice in four of the world's oldest and most established constitutional courts: Austria, France, Germany, and Italy.
Towering Judges : a comparative study of constitutional judges by Iddo Porat; Rehan Abeyratne
Call Number: General 510 A147.8a

ISBN: 9781108840217

Publication Date: 2021

Contents: Australia (Chief Justice Sir Anthony Mason, 1972–95); Chile (Judge Eugenio Valenzuela, 1981–9/1997–2006); Columbia (Justice Manuel Cepeda, 2001–9); Hong Kong (Chief Justice Andrew Li, 1997–2010; and Justice Kemal Bokhary, 1997–2012); Hungary (President László Sólyom, 1990–8); India (Chief Justice PN Bhagwati, 1973–86); Ireland (Chief Justice Hugh Kennedy, 1924–36); Israel (President Aharon Barak, 1978–2006); Nepal (Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha, 2005–16); Singapore (Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong, 2006–12); South Africa (Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson, 1994–2005); UK (Lady Hale, President of the Supreme Court, 2009–20); US (Chief Justice Earl Warren, 1953–69; Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes, 1930–41; Justice William Brennan, 1956–90; Justice Hugo Black, 1937–71; and Justice Owen Roberts, 1930–45); and Vietnam (Chief Justice Truong Hoa Binh, 2007–16).

Case law of constitutional courts

Most consitutional courts have their own website with accessible databases of decisions. Some also provide (unofficial) English translations of their leading cases.

In addition, the Council of Europe's Venice Commission monitors constitutional developments world-wide (not just members of the CoE) and makes results available free online:

CODICES
Free resource. Database maintained by Venice Commission's secretariat in Strasbourg. Thousands of full text decisions, and archive of summaries which have in the Bulletin. CODICES is updated three times a year to coincide with the publication of the Bulletin.
Bulletin on Constitutional Case-Law
Free resource "Since 1993, the Venice Commission publishes the Bulletin on Constitutional Case-Law, which contains summaries in French and English of the most significant decisions taken by over 60 participating courts. the regular issues are completmented by special issues on various topics. It appears in English and French three times a year, each number indicating the main judgments made during a period of four months. Contributions to the Bulletin are provided by the liaison officers who were appointed by the Courts themselves."