The Emergence of Asian Constitutionalism: Features in Comparison

亞洲憲政主義的崛起：比較憲法下的觀察

當代亞洲憲政主義的崛起，並未如同西方憲政主義一般地被廣泛討論。雖然亞洲憲政主義與傳統憲政主義一樣，均與以國家、社會及個人為基礎的自由憲政主義有些許關聯，然而在這二十年來，跳脫亞洲價值的亞洲憲政主義，其獨特的發展與特色仍然值得關注。雖然亞洲憲政主義的發展，似乎與東歐新興民主國家有類似的特色，不過亞洲憲政主義所根植的基礎與一般對於西方憲政主義的規範性認知，仍有本質上的不同。本文依當代憲政主義典範轉移的過程，亦即傳統憲政主義、轉型憲政主義及跨國憲政主義的發展，來分析亞洲憲政主義。本文最後強調關注亞洲憲政主義發展趨勢的必要性，以及如何透過深入了解亞洲憲政主義的發展與特色，來重新詮釋當代憲政主義。

The rise of modern Asia constitutionalism has not been widely discussed as its western counterparts; although Asia constitutionalism shared with tradition constitutionalism a thin understanding of a liberal constitutional foundation upon which state, society and individuals are defined, nevertheless the distinct developments and features of Asia Constitutionalism which has moved beyond Asia values in the last two decades is worth noting. Constitutional developments in Asia though seemingly share similar features with new democracies like Eastern Europe, nevertheless, Asia constitutionalism is embedded with fundamental differences that is distinguishable from the normative understanding of western constitutionalism. This Article analyses the distinguish development of Asia Constitutionalism in light of the evolving paradigms of modern constitutionalism; traditional constitutionalism, transitional constitutionalism and transnational constitutionalism, then concludes with the remark on the need to address the emerging trend of Asian Constitutionalism and how further investigation into the development and features of Asian Constitutionalism would shed a new light on contemporary constitutionalism.