What is constitutional reform?

Constitutional reform is the process undertaken to develop, advance and amend the supreme governing law of a nation. South Africa underwent significant constitutional reform in the early 1990s as a new and arguably one of the most progressive constitutions was drafted with the assistance of many parties, including legislators, courts and civil society organizations. However the enactment of a constitution is not the end of the long walk. Constitutions are dynamic documents that may be amended by legislators or revised by courts to reflect the democratic society envisioned in the preamble. The South African constitution has been amended several times since it was enacted in 1996.

Constitutional reform is not unique to South Africa. As in South Africa, constitutional reform can either be a sterile and ultimately futile attempt by elites to remain in power, or a citizen based activism for a fundamental re-arrangement of power and priorities. Other countries are in the process of considering changes to their constitutions or are re-drafting the entire document. The expertise developed by individuals and groups in South Africa is and should be shared with other nations as they continue the dynamic process of shaping their supreme governing document.