The Centre for Asian Legal Studies (CALS) hosted an engaging seminar under its Comparative Public Law Speaker Series featuring Professor Nicholas Aroney from The University of Queensland, moderated by Adjunct Professor Kevin Y L Tan of the National University of Singapore.

Professor Aroney, an eminent scholar in constitutional law, comparative federalism, and law and religion, addressed the complexities of constituent power in multilevel constitutional systems. He began by revisiting the foundational principle in liberal democracies—that legitimate public authority derives from popular power—before highlighting a conceptual challenge in federal and multilevel systems: while constituent power is typically vested in a singular “people,” federations often rest on a plurality of constituent peoples.

Drawing on examples from jurisdictions such as Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Malaysia, the United States, and the European Union, Professor Aroney explored how a pluralised concept of constituent power might operate and the legal ramifications of such pluralism. His presentation integrated both theoretical insights and empirical analysis, concluding with a discussion on comparative methodology and case selection in studying plural constituent power.

Adjunct Professor Kevin Y L Tan, a leading authority in constitutional law and Singapore legal history, facilitated a lively discussion during the Q&A session. The audience, comprising faculty members, students, and legal practitioners, engaged in thoughtful exchanges on the implications of Professor Aroney’s work for both domestic and comparative constitutional scholarship.

The seminar provided valuable perspectives for scholars interested in constitutional theory, federalism, and comparative law, reinforcing CALS’ commitment to fostering dialogue on pressing issues in public law across jurisdictions.