Constitutions under Pressure

Overview & Synopsis

In an era marked by a global retreat from democracy, this book investigates ‘constitutional capture’, defined as the systematic and intentional weakening of constitutional checks and balances, to explain how constitutional change facilitates autocratization. Through innovative comparison of Poland, Hungary, Turkey, and Egypt, it details how incumbents subvert judicial independence to consolidate power. This subjugated judiciary then becomes a key facilitator, dismantling executive constraints and suppressing fundamental rights, from LGBTQ+ rights in Poland to collective ownership of national soil in Egypt, illuminating the mutually reinforcing relationship between constitutional manipulation and autocratization.