Living Constitution; History and Approaches

The constitution should be a symbol of flexibility in the face of social challenges. In most constitutions, it is possible to amend the constitution through a formal revision. The difficulty of the formal reform process has led constitutionalist democracies to believe that a formal revision of the constitution cannot be the only way to achieve the desired goal of meeting the constitution with the needs of society, parties, and people on the constitution in the constitutional law. In this respect, two approaches of originality and dynamism are noteworthy. The controversy between the originalists and the dynamic constitution suggests that in addition to the formal method, constitutions can be reviewed and changed informally. In this article, the concept and principles of the dynamic constitution as a new theory, survey the limits of living constitution interaction in the face of the originalist constitution, the relationship between the living constitution and the legitimacy of the political system, and its confrontation with the rule of law are examined. The main goal of this article is to provide the basis for further research and localization of the present theory by examining the dimensions and challenges of the forthcoming issue to address the shortcomings of the Iranian constitution in the face of the current challenges of the constitution.