International IDEA is interviewing experts who are or have been involved in a constitution-building process. They speak about their experiences, whether objectives were reached, what could have been done differently or better and what others can learn from these experiences. As the international community is increasingly involved in promoting state and peace building through constitutional processes, these reflections will be of particular value to them.
Nicholas Haysom
Interview with Nicholas Haysom, Political Affairs Director, Executive Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, 15 September 2007.
Nicholas Haysom is a distinguished lawyer who served as President Nelson Mandela’s legal advisor and was closely associated with the drafting of the South African constitution. He has advised on constitutional reform in East and Central Africa and in South and Southeast Asia. He served as the head of the Office of Constitutional Support in the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) from April 2005 – August 2006. He was appointed Director for Political Affairs in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General of the UN in May 2007.
The interview was conducted on 15 September 2007 in New York. Interviewer: Dr Sakuntala Kadirgamar-Rajasingham
Sona Khan
Interview with Sona Khan, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India, 15 September 2007
Sona Khan is a former judge and now practices as an Advocate before the Supreme Court of India. She is a distinguished legal scholar, especially on Islamic jurisprudence and is an advocate of women’s empowerment through the law. She was instrumental in the landmark Shahbano case, which raised the issue of how to weigh a woman's rights to maintenance after divorce against India's separation of civil and religious law.
The interview was conducted on 15 September 2007 in New York. Interviewer: Dr Sakuntala Kadirgamar-Rajasingham
