Fundamental rights and democratic contestation : reflections on freedom of assembly in an unequal society
Date
2017
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Law, University of the Western Cape
Abstract
In this article, I argue that the impoverished conception of freedom of assembly displayed in legislation and case law, and its neglect in academic literature, has to do with a set of dominant understandings of democracy. These understandings are structured in terms of certain hierarchical oppositions: between institutional and extra-institutional politics; between representative and direct democracy; between rational deliberation and political antagonism; between reason and affect; and between speech and action. I argue that these understandings, together with the narratives which help to sustain them, are problematic for a number of reasons: first, they do not pay sufficient attention to forms of power that are deeply ingrained in societal structures; secondly, they underestimate the constitutive role of conflict and antagonism in political life; and thirdly, they underplay the role of affects and passions in democratic struggles. Through my critique of these assumptions and understandings, I attempt to develop a more adequate understanding of the relationship between democracy and the right to assemble and demonstrate.
Description
CITATION: Botha, H. 2017. Fundamental rights and democratic contestation : reflections on freedom of assembly in an unequal society. Law, Democracy & Development, 21:221-238, doi:10.4314/ldd.v21i1.11.
The original publication is available at http://www.ldd.org.za
The original publication is available at http://www.ldd.org.za
Keywords
Assembly, Right of -- South Africa, Protests (Negotiable instruments) -- South Africa, Demonstrations -- South Africa, Democracy -- South Africa
Citation
Botha, H. 2017. Fundamental rights and democratic contestation : reflections on freedom of assembly in an unequal society. Law, Democracy & Development, 21:221-238, doi:10.4314/ldd.v21i1.11.