Constitutional Law and Federations

Constitutional Law and Federations provides a concise overview of the British occupation of Cyprus(1878-1959), the efforts of the Greek Cypriots for independence, and the structure and peculiarities of the current Cyprus Constitution. Federal states and the concept of federalism worldwide and, in every era, have come into being because of important political and security reasons dictating or necessitating the creation of such governmental organizations. The bi-zonal federation envisaged for Cyprus, in the Accords of 1977 and 1979 is not in compliance with these prerequisites. According to objective legal norms, bi-communal and bi-zonal federation flagrantly violates international law and is incompatible with the notion of human rights with regard to Cyprus. A federation modelled on the United States of America federal Constitution could, indeed, provide an ideal framework for settling the Cyprus problem and safeguarding the protection of basic human rights and constitutional freedoms for all sections of the population on the island. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of constitutional law, international law and international relations as well as diplomats, who deal not only with the Cyprus issue but also with related regional and international issues.

Table of Contents:
Part I: British Constitutional Policy and the Cyprus Republic Constitution Chapter 1: Legal Questions Arising from the British Occupation Chapter 2: The British Position against Cyprus U.N. Applications for Self-Determination Chapter 3: British Constitutional Proposals for Cyprus Chapter 4: The Structure and Legal Peculiarities of the Constitution Chapter 5: Initial Thoughts on a Settlement of the Cyprus International Dispute Part II: Classical Greek Federal Constitutions and Modern Federal Government Chapter 6: Classical Greek Federal Constitutions Chapter 7: Modern Federal Government Part III: Federal Constitutions and Human Rights Law Chapter 8: Turkish Promotion of Federation Chapter 9: The Concept of Federalism Chapter 10: Federal State for Cyprus: A Constitutional Law Perspective Chapter 11: Federation and Human Rights Chapter 12: European Union Involvement in the Settlement of the Cyprus Issue Chapter 13: The Legal Principles Pacta Sunt Servanda and Rebus Sic Stantibus Part IV: American

About the Author :
Iacovos Kareklas, expert in constitutional law, international law and philosophy of law, is Visiting Fellow of Pembroke College in the University of Oxford.

Review :
This book constitutes an important addition to the academic research, not only from a purely legal point of view, but because it combines elements of historiography and international relations, creating a complex scientific ‘mosaic’.The combination of parallel scientific fields that emerge in the present opinion make it a useful academic tool for both the legal scholar and the political scientist. Constitutional Law and Federations is a solid addition and valuable contribution to the many studies of the Cyprus issue. It not only contributes to the literature of constitutional theory, but also combines elements of legal history, especially that of ancient Greek law. This combination is one of the strongest features of this research. The author Kareklas, from the first lines of his work presents his proposition that the model of the United States Federal Constitution should provide the basis on which the Cyprus problem could be settled. This proposition constitutes a major contribution of this work. The book is the product of complete and exhaustive research, which stands out for its clarity. It is a well-documented, comprehensive, reliable, and serious scientific work. It is also structured in a logical manner with an excellent style of writing. All these reasons provide the book with the benefit of a wide readership. It will be of interest to non-experts on public law as well as the academic community.