Introduction

Three chapters (Part 1— Framing the Problem) set the stage with close consideration of the roles and limits of history in constitutional adjudication. The next two chapters (Part 2— Historical Precedents and Inter- Constitutional Interpretation) offer a close analysis of courts engaging with legally authoritative sources from the past. Three chapters (Part 3— A Matter of Narratives) explore uses of historical materials and narratives by courts in individual countries. The final two chapters (Part 4— New Democracies and Illiberal Regimes) in the volume concern the role of history in constitutional adjudication in new democracies and illiberal political regimes.