UNFINISHED REVOLUTIONS: CONSTITUTIONAL PASTS AND FUTURES IN IRELAND AND MEXICO

In 2016 and 2017 two seemingly unrelated states celebrated centenaries of nation-defining revolutions. Mexico marked the centenary of the 1917 Constitution, which gave formal expression to the demands of the Mexican Revolution that began in 1910. Ireland commemorated 1916, the date of the Easter Rising; a rebellion against rule by the British Empire which led ultimately to independence. This article examines how both Ireland’s and Mexico’s constitutional histories for the past century relate to two ‘unfinished revolutions’, in which the hopes and aspirations of the initial revolutions in each state have been only partially realised. In doing so, the article recognises the significant constitutional progress that has been achieved in each state, but also the challenges faced and remaining deficiencies in meeting the aspirations of each revolution, as well as growing threats in the current febrile international climate. Although the constitutional story of each state evidently features a dizzying array of actors, the article places particular focus on the role of courts – especially supreme courts and international human rights courts – in helping or hindering positive transformation in each state.