Teaching Constitutional and Administrative Law at NUS: Mission, Materials and Methods 1957-2017
19 Pages Posted: 14 Dec 2018
Date Written: September 30, 2017
Abstract
This essay engages pedagogy and teaching philosophy in reviewing how constitutional and administrative law (“CAAL”) has been taught at NUS over the past 60 years, engaging the themes of mission, method and materials. Gone is the time when foreign academics disinterested in local law thoughtlessly issued readings on Bickel and irrelevant foreign cases; today, most CAAL teachers are active researchers who appreciate the autochthonous, experimental nature of the constitutional order and the changing political context, while staying abreast of comparative and international developments. While the dominant party state remains, the governance style has shifted from authoritarianism to a more consultative, participatory approach, befitting of a post-deferential era. Government-driven constitutional amendments continue, constitutional litigation is proceeding apace and public interest in public law is in ascendancy.
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