Конституционные реформы в цифровую эпоху: опыт Исландии

Abstract

Digital era creates new opportunities for citizens for participation in political and legal decision-making process at various levels. Currently, the practice of involving citizens in drafting of laws and even constituent acts is spreading in foreign countries. The draft of the Constitution of Iceland of 2011 was adopted by the Constitutional Council, which included ordinary citizens, not representatives of the political elite. By the use of social media and the official website, the Council was able to establish direct contacts with the population and promptly respond to suggestions and comments of citizens. Not only citizens, but also foreigners could submit their proposals on issues which should be reflected in the text of the Constitution, comments on the wording of certain articles and participate in the stress test of the constitutional draft. This approach has legitimized the process of the Constitution drafting and created a sense of ownership among those who participated in the discussion. Although this draft has not become the Constitution because of the lack of the Parliament’s support, the Iceland’s experience may be interesting as a new approach to drafting laws in the digital era. The Icelandic experience was considered unprecedented and revolutionary. It showed that the process of Constitution drafting could be more open and democratic without incur-ring significant financial costs.