Dangerous Constitutional Moments: The 'Tactic of Legality' in Nazi Germany and the Irish Free State Compared

  • Gerard Quinn

Research output: Chapter in Book or Conference Publication/ProceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

This chapter looks at dangerous constitutional moments that can occur during any process of transition. It focuses on the deconstruction of the Weimar Constitution in the early 1930s which paved the way for the Nazi terror in Germany and the deconstruction of the Irish Free State Constitution at around the same time, which eventually paved the way for the highly successful 1937 Constitution of Ireland. The chapter suggests that this so-called tactic of legality presents important lessons during moments of heightened sensitivity as one regime transitions into another.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationJudges, Transition, and Human Rights
PublisherOxford University Press
ISBN (Electronic)9780191695599
ISBN (Print)9780199204939
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 22 Mar 2012

Keywords

  • Constitution of ireland
  • Constitutional transition
  • Irish free state
  • Nazi germany
  • Tactic of legality
  • Weimar constitution

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