Intergenerational Constitutionalism

Intergenerational justice presents complex challenges for constitutional governance. Existing policy and legal structures frequently prioritize the interests of current populations, leaving unborn generations without formal political representation, even though long-term decisions on climate change, fiscal sustainability, and social welfare directly shape their future conditions. This paper explores the concept of intergenerational constitutionalism, with particular emphasis on the possibility of granting proxy voting rights or legal standing to unborn generations. It evaluates theoretical foundations, comparative institutional approaches, practical limitations, and normative frameworks, ultimately proposing mechanisms for incorporating the interests of future citizens into contemporary democratic decision-making.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-04-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19802094
Primary Topic
Environmental law and policy
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Intergenerational Constitutionalism

Jubaer Shah
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Environmental law and policy
article

Intergenerational Constitutionalism

Jubaer Shah
article en

Abstract

Intergenerational justice presents complex challenges for constitutional governance. Existing policy and legal structures frequently prioritize the interests of current populations, leaving unborn generations without formal political representation, even though long-term decisions on climate change, fiscal sustainability, and social welfare directly shape their future conditions. This paper explores the concept of intergenerational constitutionalism, with particular emphasis on the possibility of granting proxy voting rights or legal standing to unborn generations. It evaluates theoretical foundations, comparative institutional approaches, practical limitations, and normative frameworks, ultimately proposing mechanisms for incorporating the interests of future citizens into contemporary democratic decision-making.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Climate action
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Environmental law and policy
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