Comparative constitutional happiness in the light of the jurisprudence of the Turkish Constitutional Court

Abstract

The concept of happiness has been included in various constitutions in force today, as in the historical process. In this thesis, the notion of happiness is examined from the perspective of comparative constitutional law in accordance with the jurisprudence of the Turkish Constitutional Court. First, it shall be embarked on an inquiry concerning the term happiness in constitutional law, its development, and the process by which it spread in constitutional literature. In the light of recent advancements on the subject, comparative happiness performances of the countries are then reviewed considering happiness clauses in their constitutions with reference to the World Happiness Reports. Afterward, functions attained by the concept in current constitutions in force are reflected with examples. In the last part of the thesis, the concept of happiness in Turkish constitutional law is elaborated around the relevant jurisprudence developed by the Turkish Constitutional Court. The Court takes happiness as an output of the social state governed by the rule of law. Fundamentally, the scientific legitimacy of the elements included in this jurisprudence has been brought up for discussion given the empirical data and doctrinal views collected from countries with happiness clauses in their constitutions. This thesis aims to clarify the normative framework of the happiness clauses in constitutions based on examples in comparative law and to present factors, which are likely to affect the constitutional happiness of the countries around the jurisprudence of the Turkish Constitutional Court and crosscheck them with reference to social, economic, and legal indicators.