Acceso usuarios
Julio César Muñoz Mendiola
La corriente del constitucionalismo transformador se basa en conseguir cambios sustanciales en la realidad social a través de los derechos y del papel de los jueces constitucionales. Al mismo tiempo, existe una corriente constitucionalista feminista que lucha por una reivindicación de los derechos de las mujeres desde la Ley y la Constitución, lo que podría ser, primero, una separación conceptual innecesaria y, segundo, una convergencia fundamental a través del papel de los jueces constitucionales para la reivindicación de los derechos de las mujeres. Esta nota sostiene, como tesis central, que las corrientes del constitucionalismo tienen la misma base jurídica representada en una Constitución con fuerza normativa y la justicia constitucional, por lo que es más realista y valioso referirse a lo que llamo una adjudicación constitucional transformadora, ya que no se necesita un marco constitucional específico, sino sólo la convicción transformadora de los jueces constitucionales. Así: primero, analizo el constitucionalismo y su significado como fenómeno; segundo, explico el constitucionalismo transformador; tercero, describo el constitucionalismo feminista; cuarto, propongo el concepto de adjudicación constitucional transformadora que conjuntaría ambos postulados de los constitucionalismos revisados; quinto, examino algunos casos en la práctica constitucional en los que se demuestra la adjudicación constitucional transformadora.
Transformative constitutionalism is a current of legal thought based on the belief that constitutional judges can play a key role in promoting social change and expanding constitutional rights. Another current, feminist constitutionalism, seeks to remedy deficiencies resulting from the failure of the law and constitutions to sufficiently protect the rights of women. These two constitutionalist currents could be regarded as constituting an unnecessary conceptual separation, since they share a fundamental convergence in their view of the important role constitutional judges can play in the advancement of women’s rights. This note argues that the underlying principles of the various currents of constitutionalism rest on the same legal foundation, that is, a legal system comprised of a constitution with normative force and an institutionalized system of constitutional justice. As a result, the practice of transformative constitutional adjudication is a more realistic and constructive means by which to foster transformative social change than either of the aforementioned constitutionalisms since it does not require the institutionalization of a specific constitutional framework. All that is required is the transformative conviction of the constitutional judges themselves. This note is organized in the following way: first, I analyze the concept of constitutionalism in general; second, I explain transformative constitutionalism; third, I describe feminist constitutionalism; fourth, I propose the concept of transformative constitutional adjudication that combines principles from both of the previously reviewed constitutionalisms; fifth, I examine eight specific cases from various countries where transformative constitutional adjudication was employed in the resolution of the constitutional issue raised.
