The Evolving Constitution of Greenland

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In this chapter, we will describe and analyse the historical background and the evolution of the relationship between Denmark and Greenland leading to and explaining the claim for more independence. We will examine the legal sources publicly available from the Constitutional Commission and focus on who is participating in the work, the claims for legitimacy and the inclusion of the people. Analysing the proposed topics of the constitution and drawing on legal comparative analysis, we discuss, amongst other things, the proposed human rights catalogue in light of modern constitution-making and reflect on the Inuit cosmology discussing who is to be regarded as the “founding fathers” of the new Greenlandic constitution. In the end, building on the historical developments and legal findings on the relationship between Greenland and Denmark, we discuss the possible steps towards more independence, such as free association, confederation, and federal agreement possibly before arriving at full independence with a Greenlandic constitution.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationRoutledge Handbook of Polar Law
EditorsYoshifumi Tanaka, Rachael Lorna Johnstone, Vibe Ulfbeck
Number of pages16
PublisherRoutledge
Publication date2023
Chapter27
ISBN (Print)9780367711702
ISBN (Electronic)9781003404828
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

ID: 299409806