Defense of studies on the constitutional history of Brazil: a critique of the doctrine of the effectiveness of the Constitution

The paper compares the uses of constitutional history in current continental Europe and in Brazil. It argues that the differences found might be related to the way Brazilian constitutional law theory perceives Brazilian past constitutional law: as a long series of ineffective, “nominal” constitutions. By so doing, Brazilian constitutional law theory underestimates constitutional history and, especially, past constitutions, who had produced some effects (albeit none of them comparable to current constitution's effects). The article concludes by suggesting that Brazilian constitutional law scholars should be more open to studies in constitutional history.

Keywords:
constitutional law; constitutional history; neoconstitutionalism; effectiveness of constitutions