The third volume of the Constitutionalism Trilogy - Centenary of the First Georgian Constitution- prepared and published on the basis of Caucasus International University is dedicated to the centennial anniversary of the 1921 Constitution of Georgia.
Conceptual comprehension, general edition and editorial letter belong to Mr. Mindia Ugrekhelidze, a professor at Caucasus International University, and the author and publishing manager of the project is Mr. Beka Kantaria, Associate Professor at the same university.
The first volume (Constitutionalism - Achievements and Challenges, 2019. Scientific editors and publishers: Mindia Ugrekhelidze and Beka Kantaria) deals with the fundamental problems of constitutionalism, and the second volume (Constitutional Ideas and Processes in Georgian Journalism - Fight for Constitutional Democracy (1990-1995) 2020. Conceptual comprehension, scientific edition and preface by Mindia Ugrekhelidze, author and supervisor of the project Beka Kantaria) reflects the latest issues of Georgian constitutionalism.
The book begins with the congratulations of Ms. Salome Zurabishvili, the President of Georgia and Ilia II, the Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia.
International Significance of the Trilogy
The collection is a truly unique event in the recent history of Georgian legal science, in terms of subject matter and team of authors. Representatives of 12 countries from all over the world participate in it. The Act of Independence of May 26, 1918 and the Constitution of Georgia of 1921 are presented in Georgian, Abkhazian, English, French, German and Italian languages.
“The main novelty and dignity of the publication is the unusually wide representation. In the field of law, especially within the framework of Georgian constitutionalism, it will undoubtedly be difficult to find another example when the famous authors of so many countries discuss the legal and political way of life in the collection. Among the countries the reader finds one which has never cooperated with us before. There are the countries that are old, traditional partners of Georgia, and therefore the number of their representation is significantly higher than in other cases.” - Professor Mindia Ugrekhelidze notes in editorial letter (“Our First Constitution - past, which trains the future”).
First Georgian Constitution from the Standpoint of the Judges of the European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights is represented in the collection. In particular, the reader will be introduced to the congratulation letter of Jean Paul Costa, former president at the Court, professor at the Sorbonne University and his assessment of the 1921 Constitution. The congratulation letters by the following people are significant: Georg Ress, former president of the third and fourth sections at the European Court of Human Rights, professor at Saarland University; Volodymyr Butkevich, former judge at the European Court of Human Rights, honorary president of the Association of International Law of Ukraine; Andras Sajo, former Vice-President at the European Court of Human Rights; the current judges of the same court, Mattias Guyomar (National Judge from France) and Lado Chanturia. It is noteworthy that a special scientific article (Opinions on the Rule of Law under the European Convention on Human Rights) was prepared for this collection by Robert Spano, the current President of the European Court of Human Rights.
“The 1921 Constitution was quite progressive with many social and economic rights, such as unemployment benefits, social insurance, protection of the rights of women, mothers and children, limitation of working hours (up to 48 hours per week, as it was in France since 1919), banning child labor under sixteen.” - notes former President of the European Court of Human Rights Jean-Paul Costa in his welcoming speech.
The First Georgian Constitution from the Standpoint of Famous Foreign Scientists
Emeritus professors and professors of world-renowned universities congratulate Georgia and the Georgian nation on the centenary of the first Georgian Constitution. They unanimously acknowledge that the 1921 Constitution is an excellent document and that the values enshrined in it are the foundation of modern democracy.
In the collection, the reader will get acquainted with welcome speeches by Rejeb Jordania, son of Noe Jordania, Chairman of the First Republic of Georgia, Herman Schwartz (Professor of Law Emeritus at American University Washington College of Law), Peter Häberle (Professor Emeritus at the University of Bayreuth), Heinz Mohnhaupt (scientist at Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory), Giuseppe De Vergottini (Professor Emeritus at the University of Bologna), Dieter Grimm (Professor Emeritus at Humboldt University), Christian Stark (Professor Emeritus at Georg August University of Gottingen), Josef Isensee (Professor Emeritus at Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn), Rolf Knipper (Professor Emeritus, University of Bremen), Michael Stolleis (Professor Emeritus at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt), Paul Kirchhoff (Professor Emeritus at Heidelberg University), Alexander Blankenagel (Professor Emeritus at Humboldt University in Berlin), Martin Morlok, (Professor Emeritus at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf), Christoph Degenhart (Professor Emeritus at the University of Leipzig), Otto Deppenhoyer (Professor at the University of Cologne), Pierce Gardner (Barrister in England and Wales, Barrister in Ireland), David Schultz (Professor at Hamline University), Michael Brenner (Professor at Friedrich Schiller University, Jena), Lawrence Lessig (Professor at Harvard and Chicago Universities), Regina Kinner (Professor at the University of Zurich), Olga Butkevich (Professor, President of the Ukrainian International Law Association), Bernd Heinrich (Professor at Eberhard Karls University Tübingen), Bernd Wieser (Professor at the University of Graz), and Wolfgang Forster (Professor at the Eberhard Karl University Tübingen)
Most of the foreign meritorious scholars in their welcoming speeches noted that the Constitution of Georgia of 1921 preceded in many respects the constitutions of their country. Here are some excerpts from their letters:
“The Constitution of Georgia abolished the death penalty long before other nations, (Article 19); My country has not done that yet” (Herman Schwartz).
“The Constitution of Georgia of 1921 is an original, contemporary and interesting text of the epoch” (Jean Paul Costa).
“The unequivocal declaration of the abolition of the death penalty has only recently become a hallmark of mature constitutions. Unequivocal protection against long-term detention is a right recognized in the United States only 70 years later” (Lawrence Lessig).
“It is impossible to praise the Constitution more than to say that it is still modern and relevant even after 100 years” (Alexander Blankenagel).
“The Constitution of Georgia of 1921 clearly emphasizes the principle of the supremacy of the Constitution, which was not a common occurrence at that time” (Martin Morlok).
“The Georgian constitution adopted 100 years ago was in a good sense an already 'modern' constitution, with the elements that still represent the good of the rule of law today” (Michael Brenner).
The First Georgian Constitution from the Point of View of Contemporary Foreigners
In the collection, readers will find articles by former British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald (Socialist State in the Caucasus), Second International leader Karl Kautsky (Draft Constitution of Georgia), and Boris Shatsk, Professor of St. Petersburg University (Constitution of Georgia).
“I have carefully read your draft constitution. In general, I can say that your draft constitution makes a good impression on me” - Noted Karl Kautsky.
Reflection of the First Constitution of Georgia in the Constitutional Acts of the Later Period
The collection presents acts of constitutional content adopted by the highest bodies of Georgian state government since the 1990s in Georgian and English, where the 1921 Constitution of Georgia is mentioned as the original source of Georgian constitutionalism.
The Scientific Part of the Jubilee Collection
The collection also presents the scientific works of foreign and Georgian scholars on fundamental issues of both constitution and law in general.
The jubilee collection, on the one hand, will promote the first Georgian Constitution in the modern civilized world, and, on the other hand, will revive the independent school of Georgian constitutional law.
Unifying Visual of Multi-Volume Collection
The concluding part of the publication is a summary of the trilogy with images of all three volumes.
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