Proposed constitutional reform in New Zealand: Constitutional entrenchment, written constitutions, and legitimacy

This article addresses the question of possible constitutional reform, specifically in the New Zealand context, but also more generally. In any process of constitutional reform, an understanding of how the existing system works and how it came into being is important. It is also important to ask just what is meant by national identity, and how far this can be reflected in the existing system of government. This should be addressed before any detailed consideration of parts of the governmental structure, and then be permitted to inform the discourse and influence the development of proposals for change. Public opinion is of paramount importance, and indeed it may be questioned whether significant constitutional reform proposed by politicians rather than resulting from popular demand has legitimacy; but public opinion and direct or representative democracy alone is not necessarily sufficient.