A detailed map of the Parliament

This isn't a light summer read. It's not a book to take to the beach, but it is one to keep in mind. Joan Ridao is well-versed in the intricacies of Catalan parliamentary law, and here he creates a good map of how the Catalan Parliament works, one of the institutions most valued by Catalans, but also one of the least known.

Ridao addresses the classic topics of parliamentary law: the sources—the framework established by the Constitution and the Statute, but also the customs and doctrine of the Constitutional Court—the organization and functioning of the Chamber, the statute of members, and much more. This includes topics that are the subject of current debate, such as the electoral system; the special jurisdiction of members, which other regional parliaments have eliminated; the limits of freedom of expression in parliament; the code of conduct for members; and the oversight role that the Constitutional Court has exercised, especially in recent years, in influencing the life of the Parliament.

The best guide to understanding how Parliament works and how it should work

It also analyzes the moderate pluralism that has emerged in Catalonia since the first elections in 1980, which has served as a vaccine against the two-party system and the dynamic that prevailed for years in the Cortes Generales.

This is a first level of reading of the book. The author's intention is informative, and his style is didactic. He details each parliamentary initiative and how they operate, and also explains what limits the Parliament faces in exercising its assigned functions and how it should reinvent itself to regain its prominence.

But it's not an easy read, nor does it claim to be. Ridao, an associate professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Barcelona (UB), who was a senior counselor at the Parliament and belongs to the Chamber's legal staff, also offers a rigorous legal analysis and doctrinal reflection that, as Constitutional Law Professor Joan Vintró points out in the prologue, make this book unique.

With its 500 pages, this reference manual is aimed at a wide range of audiences, including the general public. But Ridao also intended it to be useful to the renowned experts in Parliament who might consult it. The audience also includes members of Parliament, political appointees, officials of the Chamber and administrative staff, as well as journalists. Students and professors of degrees such as Law and Political Science are also included.

Title: Parliamentary Law of Catalonia

Author: Joan Ridao

Atelier Publishing