The Constitutional Jurisprudence of the Federal Republic of Germany

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First published in 1989, The Constitutional Jurisprudence of the Federal Republic of Germany has become an invaluable resource for scholars and practitioners of comparative, international, and constitutional law, as well as of German and European politics. The third edition of this renowned English-language reference has now been fully updated and significantly expanded to incorporate both previously omitted topics and recent decisions of the German Federal Constitutional Court. As in previous editions, Donald P. Kommers and Russell A. Miller's discussions of key developments in German constitutional law are augmented by elegantly translated excerpts from more than one hundred German judicial decisions. Compared to previous editions of The Constitutional Jurisprudence of the Federal Republic of Germany, this third edition more closely tracks Germany's Basic Law and, therefore, the systematic approach reflected in the most-respected German constitutional law commentaries. Entirely new chapters address the relationship between German law and European and international law; social and economic rights, including the property and occupational rights cases that have emerged from Reunification; jurisprudence related to issues of equality, particularly gender equality; and the tension between Germany's counterterrorism efforts and its constitutional guarantees of liberty. Kommers and Miller have also updated existing chapters to address recent decisions involving human rights, federalism, European integration, and religious liberty.

Donald P. Kommers is Joseph and Elizabeth Robbie Professor of Political Science and Law Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame. Russell A. Miller is Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University School of Law.

"In the endeavor to gain knowledge from the problems confronted and resolutions reached by our counterparts abroad, the work of Donald P. Kommers, now joined by Russell A. Miller, is a rich resource. Offering far more than excellent English-language translations of the decisions of a renowned tribunal, Professors Kommers and Miller supply incisive analyses and commentary. I am pleased to herald the publication of this third edition of a masterful text. . . . Brought right up to the moment . . . The Constitutional Jurisprudence of the Federal Republic of Germany is an engaging, enlightening, indispensable source for those seeking to learn from the text and context of German constitutional jurisprudence."—From the foreword by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice, the Supreme Court of the United States

"With new coauthor Russell A. Miller, Donald P. Kommers delivers a thoroughly updated and, in some respects, reorganized work, which gives needed attention both to constitutional amendments and to conceptual developments in the Constitutional Court's jurisprudence. The authors' evident familiarity with German and U.S. constitutional law deepens the book's comparative perspective. This has been and will remain an indispensable resource for scholars and students who want to develop a deep understanding of Germany's constitutional system."—Vicki C. Jackson, author of Constitutional Engagement in a Transnational Era

"This is the single most important book in English on one of the world's most important courts. More than a hornbook because it includes smartly edited cases, and more than a casebook because it adds outstanding institutional, historical, and doctrinal context, this volume provides a first-rate introduction to the German Federal Constitutional Court, which has been among the most influential courts in the world in creating global constitutional law. With this volume, English-speaking readers can see why."—Kim Lane Scheppele, Director of the Program in Law and Public Affairs and Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs at Princeton University

"The constitutional law of Germany—and the judgments of the German Federal Constitutional Court—are central for anyone interested in comparative constitutional law. This book is an excellent introduction to German constitutional thinking. It makes one better understand one's own constitution and its problems. I have relied heavily on the previous editions. This latest one is essential."—Aharon Barak, former President, the Supreme Court of Israel