The Role of Constitutional Courts in Multilevel Governance

Constitutional review has not only expanded geographically, it has also expanded in its mission and function, acquiring new subject areas and new roles and responsibilities. In examining these new roles and responsibilities, this collection of essays reflects on constitutional review as an aspect of constitutionalism framed in the context of multilevel governance. Bringing together a number of remarkable, yet varied, contributions, the book explores how institutional changes of multilevel governance have transformed the notion, shape, and substance of constitutional review. To this end, four key roles, both new and old, are identified: 1) courts act as guardians of fundamental rights, 2) they oversee the institutional balance, 3) they provide a deliberative forum, and 4) they assume the function of a regulatory watchdog. The book explores these different roles played by national and European courts, and it examines the challenges brought about by the involvement in multilevel networks and the shift to new concepts of governance. (Series: Law and Cosmopolitan Values - Vol. 3)