What is the shelf life of the Constitution?

I appeared before the 1998 “Forde” Constitution Commission and made a presentation on behalf of an organization, and I also made a suggestion on my own accord.

On this occasion, I have no such intervention to make. I, however, have one question, “What is the shelf life of a written Constitution?”

Since the previous Commission was, shall we say a generation ago, might we expect another review after another similar time period?

Can we expect that the meaning of words shall remain constant given the way in which words are invented or expanded these days? Then there is the impact of technology which can make a folly of an assertion in any constitution; for instance, ‘The Right to Privacy’.    

What can be one’s right to privacy in a public or even private space when your image may be captured by any number of means and disseminated, at speed, to viewers too numerous to count? How can a constitution anticipate and or restrict such exposure?

Even if the language of a written constitution is fairly specific the intent may still be hijacked by powerful forces.

Take the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution, “A well- regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

The first part of that sentence, though well-intentioned as it may have been, is hardly referenced when quoting this amendment.

A written constitution is subject to interpretation and with the meaning and ‘the force’ of words subject to change I still have to ask, “What is the shelf life of the Constitution?
– Michael Rudder