Constitutional priorities as an example of substantive amendment of the Constitution

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present the phenomenon of constitutional priorities as an example of so-called informal constitutional change. Constitutional priorities are a form of informal (substantive) constitutional amendment. Constitutional priorities are construed as a process of determining or giving priority to certain constitutional rules (constitutional provisions) and assigning lesser importance to others. Constitutional priorities are not permanent, they are a response to emerging social and economic, as well as political issues (situational context). They follow the changing reality and have an impact on the content and understanding of the provisions of the Constitution. The “substitution” of constitutional priorities may proceed in a crawling manner, i.e. through transformation of the state (e.g. environmental protection and sustainable development) or in an immediate manner as a response to a serious threat to the state and its citizens.