Constitutional identity and implicit limits on constitutional amendment power
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20873/uft.2359-0106.2023.v10n2.p536-567Keywords:
Identidade constitucional, Poder Constituinte Derivado, Emendas Constitucionais, Limites implícitosAbstract
This article proposes to investigate the use of the concept of “constitutional identity” in Brazil, both in legal doctrine and in the jurisprudence of the Federal Supreme Court, in order to define its meaning and possibilities of application. The analysis concludes that the concept is underdeveloped in Brazilian doctrine and jurisprudence and, therefore, seeks to flesh it out with recourse to the international literature on the topic, especially works by Carl Schmitt, Gary Jacobsohn and Yaniv Roznai. Next, it is argued that the concept is not able to play what seems to be considered its main role: justifying implicit limitations on constitutional amendment powers. In spite of this, the article concludes that the concept can be useful to identify and reflect on fundamental constitutional choices and support a cautious posture in face of proposals to amend them.
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