Originalism: A Uniquely American Preoccupation?

Originalismo: una preoccupazione unicamente americana?

Abstract

Abstract: Originalismo: una preoccupazione unicamente americana? – Is originalism a uniquely American preoccupation? The short answer is no. The longer answer is that originalist arguments take on distinct variations that reflect a nations’ particular cultural, historical, and political conditions. This paper explores the use of originalist arguments in contexts outside the United States, drawing on India, Malaysia and Singapore as illustrations. The comparative perspective it offers underscores that whether originalism thrives, and the form it takes, is culturally dependent and context specific.

Keywords: Comparative originalism; Constitutional history; India; Malaysia; Singapore.