Modern constitutionalism has put a lot of hopes in parliaments but there is some consensus that these hopes have not been entirely fulfilled. At the same time, the role of parliaments in contemporary democracies continues to evolve as parliaments are faced with new challenges. How should they react to the new forms of executive and administrative action? Should they play a role in upholding judicial independence, although the latter is frequently seen as independence from parliament as well as the executive? How should they contribute to the protection of fundamental rights? The book aims at providing some answers to these questions by first setting the historic scene, giving a comparative overview of the modern history of a selection of major European deliberative institutions (UK, France, Germany and the European Parliament). The book then looks at themes around the doctrine of separation of powers, especially aspects of the relationship between parliament and the executive power and parliaments' role and attitude regarding the judiciary with a special focus on the independence of the judiciary in a comparative perspective.

The third edition of European Human Rights Law: Text and Materials has been substantially expanded to provide a complete review of the wide range of rights the Convention protects, with new chapters on the right to life, property, discrimination, religious freedom, and education. The book introduces both the process and the substance of this increasingly important area of European law.
A broad selection of extracts from essential cases and materials is accompanied by stimulating commentary that guides the reader through the legal rules and court system that have evolved in Strasbourg, how the court works, and how European human rights law is enforced both at the national and international level. European human rights law is also placed into a useful comparative framework alongside human rights cases decided by courts in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere.
This third edition has been extensively updated to cover the major developments of recent years, including the reform of the European Court of Human Rights and the expansion of the system to central and eastern Europe.