By Wisdom Awuku
I’m not an English scholar! My area of specialisation is Communication and a student of Research.
Take a look at this.
Both “constitution review” and “constitutional review” are grammatically correct, but they are often used in different legal and political contexts.
- Constitutional Review (Most Common in Law)
This is the standard term used in legal theory and international law. It refers to the power of a court or specialized body to evaluate whether laws, legal acts, or government actions conform to the constitution.
Usage: “The Supreme Court exercises constitutional review to strike down unlawful legislation”.
Grammar: “Constitutional” is an adjective modifying the noun “review”.
- Constitution Review (Common for Reform)
This term is frequently used as a compound noun, particularly when referring to a specific administrative or political process intended to amend or reform a country’s founding document.
Usage: Often appears in the titles of official bodies, such as the Constitution Review Commission.
Grammar: “Constitution” acts as a noun adjunct (a noun acting as an adjective) to specify the subject of the review.
Summary Table
Term Primary Meaning Typical Context
Constitutional Review Evaluating the constitutionality of laws. Courts, Judicial Review, Legal Theory.
Constitution Review A process to change or update the constitution itself. Commissions, Amendments, Political Reform.
Recommendation: For 2025 legal writing, use “constitutional review” when discussing the judicial interpretation of laws. Use “constitution review” if referring to a specific committee tasked with amending a national document.
So, the work of Prof. H.K Prempeh is known as Constitution Review Committee (CRC).
My colleague journalists, radio commentators and political ‘communicators’, over to you.
