Convergence or divergence in text and context? Reflections on constitutional preambles in the constitution-making exercises of post-independence Cameroon and post-apartheid South Africa

dc.contributor.authorWanki, Justin Ngambu
dc.date.accessioned2019-08-08T09:59:24Z
dc.date.available2019-08-08T09:59:24Z
dc.date.issued2018
dc.description.abstractIn this article, I attempt to establish the need for the convergence of the spirit of the law—the Preamble—and the letter of the law—the provisions of the Constitution of Cameroon contained in its articles. First, I adduce prototypes or archetypes of ‘Jacobin constitutionalism’ and Anglo-Saxon-style constitutionalism as benchmarks through which I evaluate the extent to which the spirit and letter of the law of the Constitution of Cameroon have been converged. Having established the incongruence of the Preamble with these prototypes, I have referred to the Constitution of post-apartheid South Africa as a fitting paradigm that entrenches modern constitutionalism against which the Preamble to the Cameroon Constitution can be compared, revisited and revised. South Africa has been selected based on the view that, as another African country, it would serve as a more appropriate benchmark for reviewing the Preamble to the Cameroon Constitution than those of the United States, France or other Western nations, which might result instead in a skewed logic. Also, both countries have similar legal systems and historical experiences. A juxtaposition of the two constitutional preambles vividly exposes the lapses in the Cameroon example. As a result, I have suggested that the Cameroon Constitution be amended for the purposes of reviewing its Preamble to bring it into line with the conventional requirements of democratic preambles and to transform the formal demands of the Preamble as tangible demands placed on a government through entrenched provisions. Reasons have been advanced in support of the necessity for including preambulatory clauses in a constitution without which the intent of the constitution per se would be deferred.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentJurisprudenceen_ZA
dc.description.librarianam2019en_ZA
dc.description.urihttps://upjournals.co.za/index.php/SAPLen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationWanki, J.N. 2018, 'Convergence or divergence in text and context? Reflections on constitutional preambles in the constitution-making exercises of post-independence Cameroon and post-apartheid South Africa', Southern African Public Law, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 1-24.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn2219-6412 (print)
dc.identifier.issn2522-6800 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.25159/2522-6800/3353
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/70929
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherUnisa Pressen_ZA
dc.rights© Unisa Press 2018en_ZA
dc.subjectPreambulatory clausesen_ZA
dc.subjectAnglo-Saxon constitutionalismen_ZA
dc.subjectModern constitutionalismen_ZA
dc.subjectPost-apartheid South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectPost-independence Cameroonen_ZA
dc.subjectConstitution-making exercisesen_ZA
dc.subjectConstitutional preamblesen_ZA
dc.subjectConvergenceen_ZA
dc.subjectContexten_ZA
dc.subjectTexten_ZA
dc.subjectDivergenceen_ZA
dc.subjectJacobin constitutionalismen_ZA
dc.titleConvergence or divergence in text and context? Reflections on constitutional preambles in the constitution-making exercises of post-independence Cameroon and post-apartheid South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

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