Wim Voermans wins 2023 Book of the Year at University of Texas School of Law
Wim Voermans' recent book ‘The Story of Constitutions’ takes an interdisciplinary approach in attempting to understand how constitutions come about and why this relatively recent phenomenon has ‘gone viral’.
Professor Voermans examines the reasons for so many countries establishing a constitution in recent decades. This is an ancient phenomenon which has grown in popularity in recent years, at a time when democracies across the globe are coming under pressure. Today, no fewer than 189 of the 193 United Nations Member States have a constitution. Questions raised in the book include why do more people live under a constitution than under their own roof? Why do more people have constitutional rights, instead of the right to a hot meal every day, a smartphone or education? Is this diffusion of constitutions merely a passing fad? And why does the Netherlands’ 200-year-old Constitution attract so little interest? This book is a partial translation of the Dutch publication ‘Het verhaal van de grondwet’.
The prize will be presented to Professor Voermans on 9 September at the University of Texas School of Law.
The award ceremony can be followed live via this Zoom registration link.
Time: 18.45-20.00 (Leiden)
More information about both books
The Story of Constitutions (Cambridge University Press, 2023)
Het verhaal van de grondwet (Prometeus, 2019)
Photo: Eugenio Mazzaone through Unsplash