Writing a book on Constitutional Law:

1
Writing a book on Constitutional Law

• Gulnara Iskakova
• American University of Central Asia
• Kyrgyzstan

2
Conditions

• No other books in the country
• Authoritarian regime
• No experience of true constitutionalism
• No funding
• No time

3
Resources

• No other books in the country
• Language of instruction Russian/ English?
• First year course taught for 18 years old
• Two approaches institutional and case law
• Russian textbooks
• American case law
• Few court cases
• Need special research and analysis
• How to use them if they cannot serve as good
  examples
  
• Website, Toktom and other materials

4
Ideology

• Transition from totalitarianism?
• What to depict real or ideal?
• Division of power
• Society
• Human rights
• Rule of law independence of justice and
  interpretation of law
  
• To what extent to be critical
• Let the students decide?

5
Concept

• To give knowledge and understanding of the CL
  basic content and principles
  
• To teach such skills as
• identification of critical points reasoning
  analysis and interpretation of facts and legal
  provisions
  
• persuasive solution of the disputes
• To comply OR change the Departmental policy
  (first level Law 102)

6
Content(comparison)
7
Methodologies

• combination of
• theoretical and practical approaches
• short interactive lectures
• solution of hypotheticals
• group works and Socratic method

8
Materials

• Sillabus
• Description
• Grades/Exam
• The overall grade comprises of the following
• Final exam 40
• Midterm exam 30
• Class participation and assignments 30
• Attendance
• Participation
• Assignments
• Composition of Readers, website handouts, Toktom
  and other materials
  

9
Accompanying difficulties

• Resources
• Ideology
• Concept
• Content (no experience of true constitutionalism)/
  Methodologies
  
• No funding
• No time.
• What to write textbook course book manual or
  something else?