Kálmán Pócza
Kálmán Pócza is a senior research fellow at the Institute for Political Science of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and associate professor at the Pázmány Péter Catholic University Budapest. His main research field are constitutional adjudication, constitutionalism and parliamentarism.
Subjects: Political Science
Biography
While Kálmán Pócza has always been interested in theories and practices of political representation (especially parliamentarism), his most recent research projects are connected to the questions of constitutionalism (especially constitution-making processes and constitutional adjudication). In both research fields he follows the principles of interdisciplinary research: an amalgam of historical backgrounds, legal aspects and fundamental perspectives of the political science makes his approach more comprehensive. Theoretical and empirical problems of political and legal constitutionalism, the role of judicial review and constitutional courts in democratic consolidation processes are the most recent topics he is interested in. Nevertheless, he wrote, extensively on the theory and practice of parliamentarism in the inter-war period Germany and the tradition of Hungarian parliamentarism and constitutionalism from the late 19th century to the early 21th century. Institutions like parliaments and constitutional courts play a crucial role during political transformation processes this is why he focuses on these institutions in his research.He is the principal investigator of the JUDICON research project (www.judicon.tk.mta.hu)
Books:
Kálmán Pócza (2014): Parlamentarismus und politische Repräsentation. Carl Schmitt kontextualisiert, Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlag, 2014, S. 312
Edited volumes:
John O'Sullivan & Kálmán Pócza (eds.) (2015): The Second Term of Viktor Orbán Beyond Prejudice and Enthusiasm, London: Social Affairs Unit, pp. 307
Ellen Bos & Kálmán Pócza (eds.) (2014): Verfassunggebung in konsolidierten Demokratien: Neubeginn oder Verfall eines Systems? Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlag, S. 384
Ellen Bos & Kálmán Pócza (eds.) (2014): Rechtssyteme im Donauraum: Vernetzung und Transfer, Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlag, S. 244
Education
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PhD (Political Science), Andrássy University, Budapest, 2011
MA in History, Pázmány Péter Catholic University Budapest
Websites
Books
Articles
Is a Revival Possible? Theoretical Reflections on the Historical Constitution
Published: Nov 30, 2018 by Lorman, Thomas and Hörcher, Ferenc (eds.): A History of the Hungarian Constitution, London: IB Tauris, pp. 211-236
Authors: Kálmán Pócza
Subjects:
Political Science, History, Law
In this chapter, I focus on the theoretical and empirical objections raised against a possible revival of the Hungarian historical constitution after the adoption the new Fundamenatal Law of Hungary (2011). First, I present the main objections of the legal scholarship and, secondly, counter these arguments.
How to Measure the Strength of Judicial Decisions: A Methodological Framework
Published: Dec 03, 2017 by German Law Journal No. 6 (2017), pp. 1557-1586
Authors: Kálmán Pócza, Gábor Dobos and Attila Gyulai
Subjects:
Political Science, Law
In this study, we have elaborated a more sophisticated methodology for systematically mapping the manifold reality of constitutional adjudication, and measuring the strength of judicial decisions. In order to fit the research to reality, we have elaborated a scale to measure the strength of judicial decisions. This scale seems to be an appropriate tool to answer research question: to what extent have decisions of constitutional courts constrained the legislative’s room for maneuver?
Distrust in Government: A Comparative Historical Analysis
Published: Sep 30, 2017 by László Kontler & Mark Somos (eds.): Trust and Happiness in the History of European Political Thought. Leiden: Brill
Authors: Kálmán Pócza
Subjects:
Political Science, History, Law
This paper will examine and compare two historical developments with special emphasis on the question of parliamentary trust or confidence in the executive branch. Since the competence of the monarch to appoint a prime minister was one of the most discussed topics in Hungary and the United Kingdom in the late 19th century, I will try to compare the debates on the prevalence and realization of this royal prerogative in both countries.
Democratic Theory and Constitutional Adjudication
Published: Sep 30, 2015 by Acta Juridica Hungarica 2015 (56) 2-3, pp.199-212
Authors: Kálmán Pócza
Subjects:
Political Science, Law
By focusing on the practice of constitutional courts this paper aims to present a qualitative-analytical tool which might contribute to a better understanding of the practice of constitutional adjudication. This analysis analysis focuses on the question of which ideal type of democracy might be inherent or envisioned in decisions taken by judges of constitutional courts.
News
New volume on constitutional adjudication in Central Europe
By: Kálmán Pócza
Subjects: Law, Political Science, Politics & International Relations
Constitutional Politics and the Judiciary: Decision-making
in Central and Eastern Europe (edited by
Kálmán Pócza) was released on
28th November 2018 at Routledge. The volume uses the
methodology and database of JUDICON project
(www.judicon.tk.mta.hu).
Recent confrontations between constitutional courts and
parliamentary majorities, for example in Poland and Hungary, have
attracted international interest in the relationship between the
judiciary and the legislature in Central and Eastern European
countries. Several political actors have argued that courts have
assumed too much power after the democratic transformation process
in 1989/1990. These claims are explicitly or implicitly connected
to the charge that courts have constrained the room for manoeuvre
of the legislatures too heavily and that they have entered the
field of politics. Nevertheless, the question to what extent this
aggregation of power has constrained the dominant political actors
has never been examined accurately and systematically in the
literature. The present volume fills this gap by applying an
innovative research methodology to quantify the impact and effect
of courts’ decisions on legislation and legislators, and to
measure the strength of judicial decisions in six CEE
countries.