Verfassungsentwicklung und Verfassungsgerichtsbarkeit in Burkina Faso

The 20th century has witnessed growing support for Constitutional Courts in many parts of the world. Realizing that a progressive constitutional text alone is not enough to guarantee the rule of law and democracy, many countries strengthened the constitutional review mechanisms to uphold and enforce the constitutional provisions.
This study analyzes the constitutional development and judicial review in Burkina Faso in detail. It provides an overview of the institutional set-up and competences and includes in-depth analysis of the jurisprudence of the constitutional council in order to establish how constitutional review mechanisms contribute to democratization processes. Until now French-speaking countries in West Africa have not featured significantly in international academic research outside of francophone academia. After attempts to change the constitution to allow for another Presidential re-election caused social protests this study has taken on particular significance.