The Global Model of Constitutional Rights

SincetheendoftheSecondWorldWarandthesubsequentsuccessofconstitutionaljudicialreview，oneparticularmodelofconstitutionalrightshashadremarkablesuccess，firstinEuropeandnowglobally.Thisglobalmodelofconstitutionalrightsischaracterizedbyanextremelybroadapproachtothescopeofrights(sometimesreferredtoas'rightsinflation')，theacceptanceofhorizontaleffectofrights，positiveobligations，andincreasinglyalsosocio-economicrights，andtheuseofthedoctrinesofbalancingandproportionalitytodeterminethepermissiblelimitationsofrights.DrawingonanalysesofabroadrangeofcasesfromtheUK，theEuropeanCourtofHumanRights，Germany，Canada，theUS，andSouthAfrica，thisbookprovidesthefirstsubstantivemoral，reconstructivetheoryoftheglobalmodel.Itshowsthatitisbasedonacoherentconceptionofconstitutionalrightswhichconnectstoattractiveaccountsofjudicialreview，democracyandtheseparationofpowers.Thefirstpartofthebookdevelopsatheoryofthescopeofrightsundertheglobalmodel.Itdefendstheideaofageneralrighttopersonalautonomy：arighttoeverythingwhich，accordingtotheagent'sself-conception，isinhisorherinterest.Thefunctionofthisrightistoacknowledgethateveryactbyapublicauthoritywhichplacesaburdenonaperson'sautonomyrequiresjustification.Thesecondpartofthebookdevelopsatheoryofthestructureofthisjustificationwhichoffersoriginalandusefulaccountsoftheimportantdoctrinesofbalancingandproportionality.