Citizens' Assemblies - an international comparison

Author: Maximilian Schmidt and Courtney Aitken

PDF Published: Tuesday 01 Feb 2022 (SB 22-07)

Expand
Overview
Report

Hide

Hide

Overview
Report
- Executive Summary
- What is participatory and deliberative democracy?
- What are citizens' assemblies?
  - The OECD Report on Deliberative Processes
- Citizens Assembly of Scotland 2019-2021
  - Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland
  - Scottish Government Response
    
    Commitment to Future Citizens Assemblies
  - Research Report on the Citizens' Assembly of Scotland
- International Examples of Citizens' Assemblies
  - Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform, Canada (2006)
    
    Purpose of the Citizens' Assembly
    
    Composition and meetings of the Assembly
    
    Recommendations and outcomes
  - Citizens' Assembly of Ireland (2016-2018)
    
    Background: The Convention on the Constitution of 2012-14
    
    Purpose of the Citizens' Assembly of Ireland
    
    Composition and meetings of the Assembly
    
    Recommendations and outcomes
    
    The Eighth Amendment of the Constitution
    
    Tackling Climate Change
    
    Public Reception of the Assembly's Recommendations
  - Institutionalising Citizen Participation - Ostbelgien, Belgium (2019)
    
    Background to the Citizens' Council
    
    The Ostbelgien Model
  - Climate Assemblies
    
    Scotland's Climate Assembly
    
    Climate Assembly UK
    
    COP26: The Global Assembly
    
    Citizens' Convention on Climate - France
    
    Membership and meetings of the Citizens' Convention
    
    Proposals and Public Reception
- Annex 1: Citizens' Assembly of Scotland Recommendations and Outcomes
- Annex 2: Irish Constitutional Convention of 2012-14 Topics, Recommendations and Outcomes.
- Annex 3: Further Research on Citizens' Assemblies
Sources

Diagram depicting the process for selection to the Citizens' Council, the establishment of Citizens' Assemblies and the interaction of the Citizens' Council and associated assemblies or panels with the legislature in Ostbelgien, Belgium.

Image: Diagram depicting the process for selection to the Citizens' Council, the establishment of Citizens' Panels and the interaction with the legislature in Ostbelgien, Belgium.

Scottish Government. (2019, April 24). Brexit and Scotland's future: First Minister statement. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/first-minister-statement-brexit-scotlands-future/ [accessed 18 November 2021]

Citizens' Assembly of Scotland. (2021). Doing Politics Differently: The report of the Citizens' Assembly of Scotland. Retrieved from https://www.citizensassembly.scot/main-report [accessed 19 March 2021]

The Scottish Government. (2021, November 23). Citizens' Assembly of Scotland - Doing Politics Differently report: Scottish Government response. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/citizens-assembly-scotland-scottish-government-response-doing-politics-differently/ [accessed 23 November 2021]

Bua, A., & Escobar, O. (2018). Participatory-deliberative processes and public policy agendas: lessons for policy and practice. Policy Design and Practice, 1(2), 126-140. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/25741292.2018.1469242

OECD. (2020, June 10). Innovative Citizen Participation and New Democratic Institutions: Catching the Deliberative Wave. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/gov/innovative-citizen-participation-and-new-democratic-institutions-339306da-en.htm [accessed 21 November 2021]

Citizen Lab. (2020, April 27). What’s the difference between deliberation and participation?. Retrieved from https://www.citizenlab.co/blog/civic-engagement/whats-the-difference-between-deliberative-and-participatory-democracy/ [accessed 22 November 2021]

Electoral Reform Society. (2019, June 28). What are Citizens' Assemblies?. Retrieved from https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/What-Are-Citizens%E2%80%99-Assemblies-Briefing-June-2019.pdf [accessed 19 March 2021]

House of Commons Library. (2020, January 17). Constitutional Conventions and Citizens' Assemblies: power to the people?. Retrieved from https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN07143/SN07143.pdf [accessed 22 November 2021]

Cowan, D. (2019, January 24). What is a citizens' assembly?. Retrieved from https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/what-is-a-citizens-assembly/ [accessed 29 November 2021]

The Democracy Matters Project. (2016, March). Democracy Matters: Lessons from the 2015 Citizens’ Assemblies on English Devolution. Retrieved from https://citizensassembly.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Democracy-Matters-2015-Citizens-Assemblies-Report.pdf [accessed 25 November 2021]

Participedia. (2021, April 29). Method: Citizens' Assembly. Retrieved from https://participedia.net/method/4258 [accessed 24 November 2021]

Scotland's Climate Assembly. (n.d.) Who is involved: Stewarding Group. Retrieved from https://www.climateassembly.scot/Stewarding-group [accessed 27 January 2022]

Flanigan, B., Golz, P., Gupta, A., Hennig, B., & Procaccia, A.D. (2021). Fair algorithms for selecting citizens’ assemblies. Nature, 596, 548-552. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03788-6

34th Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems . (2020). Neutralizing Self-Selection Bias in Sampling for Sortition. Retrieved from https://paulgoelz.de/papers/endtoend.pdf [accessed 25 November 2021]

The Irish Times. (2018, May 27). The Citizens’ Assembly – a canny move on the road to repeal. Retrieved from https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/the-citizens-assembly-a-canny-move-on-the-road-to-repeal-1.3510373 [accessed 30 November 2021]

Fishkin, J. (2018). Random Assemblies for Lawmaking? Prospects and Limits*. Politics & Society, 46(3). doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0032329218789889

Garry, J., Pow, J., Coakley, J., Farrell, D., O'Leary, B., & Tilley, J. (2021). The Perception of the Legitimacy of Citizens’ Assemblies in Deeply Divided Places? Evidence of Public and Elite Opinion from Consociational Northern Ireland. Government & Opposition, 1-20. doi: doi:10.1017/gov.2021.4

Scottish Parliament Official Report. (2021, November 23). Report of the Citizens' Assembly of Scotland (Government Response). Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/what-was-said-in-parliament/meeting-of-parliament-23-11-2021?meeting=13424&iob=121853 [accessed 24 November 2021]

Scottish Government. (2021, November 23). Commitment to future Citizens’ Assemblies. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/news/commitment-to-future-citizens-assemblies/ [accessed 24 November 2021]

Aitken, C. (2021, November 30). Are citizens’ assemblies in Scotland “here to stay”?. Retrieved from https://spice-spotlight.scot/2021/11/30/are-citizens-assemblies-in-scotland-here-to-stay/

Adam, G. (2021, November 23). Report of the Citizens Assembly of Scotland (Government Response). Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/what-was-said-in-parliament/meeting-of-parliament-23-11-2021?meeting=13424&iob=121853 [accessed 25 November 2021]

Scottish Government. (2022, January). Citizens' Assembly of Scotland: research report. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/research-report-citizens-assembly-scotland/pages/2/ [accessed 27 January 2022]

Legislative Assembly of Ontario. (2006). O. Reg. 82/06: CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY ON ELECTORAL REFORM. Retrieved from https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/060082 [accessed 6 December 2021]

CBC. (2007, October 10). Ontario rejects electoral reform in referendum. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ontario-rejects-electoral-reform-in-referendum-1.632735 [accessed 6 December 2021]

Rose, J. (2007). The Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform. Retrieved from http://www.revparl.ca/english/issue.asp?param=182&art=1251 [accessed 6 December 2021]

Participedia. (n.d.) British Columbia Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform. Retrieved from https://participedia.net/case/1 [accessed 6 December 2021]

British Columbia Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform. (2004, December). Making every vote count: The case for electoral reform in British Columbia. Retrieved from https://citizensassembly.arts.ubc.ca/resources/final_report.pdf [accessed 6 December 2021]

Elections BC. (2005). Statement of Votes Referendum on Electoral Reform May 17, 2005. Retrieved from https://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/SOV-2005-ReferendumOnElectoralReform.pdf [accessed 6 December 2021]

CBC. (2018, December 20). 3 strikes and you're out: Decisive referendum sounds death knell for electoral reform in B.C.. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/electoral-reform-referendum-result-1.4955171 [accessed 6 December 2021]

Kuchapski, W. (2013). Why Electoral Reform Failed in Ontario?. Manitoba Law Journal, 36(2). doi: https://www.canlii.org/en/commentary/doc/2013CanLIIDocs341#!fragment/zoupio-_Tocpdf_bk_2/BQCwhgziBcwMYgK4DsDWszIQewE4BUBTADwBdoAvbRABwEtsBaAfX2zhoBMAzZgI1TMATAEoANMmylCEAIqJCuAJ7QA5KrERCYXAnmKV6zdt0gAynlIAhFQCUAogBl7ANQCCAOQDC9saTB80KTsIiJAA

SELECT COMMITTEE ON ELECTORAL REFORM REPORT ON ELECTORAL REFORM 2nd Session, 38th Parliament. (2005, November). Retrieved from https://collections.ola.org/mon/13000/257478.pdf [accessed 28 February 2020]

Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform. (2006). Should Ontario keep its current electoral system or change to a new one?. Retrieved from http://www.citizensassembly.gov.on.ca/en-CA/About/Mandate.html [accessed 6 December 2021]

Canadian Parliamentary Review. (2007). The Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform. Retrieved from http://www.revparl.ca/english/issue.asp?param=182&art=1251 [accessed 6 December 2021]

Ontario Citizens Assembly Secretariat. (2007). One Ballot, Two Votes: A New Way to Vote in Ontario: Recommendation of the Ontario Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform. Retrieved from http://www.citizensassembly.gov.on.ca/assets/One%20Ballot,%20Two%20Votes.pdf [accessed 6 December 2021]

LeDuc, L., Bastedo, H., & Baquero, C. (2008). The Quiet Referendum: Why Electoral Reform Failed in Ontario. Retrieved from https://www.democratienouvelle.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/lawrence_leduc_heather_bastedo_catherine_baquero-the_quiet_referendum_why_electoral_reform_failed_in_ontario_2008.pdf [accessed 6 December 2021]

The Convention on the Constitution. (2012). Convention on the Constitution. Retrieved from https://www.constitutionalconvention.ie/Convention.aspx [accessed 29 November 2021]

Houses of the Oireachtas. (2012). Resolution of the Houses of the Oireachtas of July, 2012. Retrieved from https://www.constitutionalconvention.ie/Documents/Terms_of_Reference.pdf [accessed 29 November 2021]

The Convention on the Constitution. (2014, March). Ninth Report of the Convention on the Constitution. Retrieved from https://www.constitutionalconvention.ie/AttachmentDownload.ashx?mid=55f2ba29-aab8-e311-a7ce-005056a32ee4 [accessed 23 November 2021]

Citizens' Assembly of Ireland. (n.d.) Convention on the Constitution. Retrieved from https://www.citizensassembly.ie/en/previous-assemblies/convention-on-the-constitution/ [accessed 22 November 2021]

thejournal.ie. (2015, December 28). Enda promises action on abortion within six months of re-election. Retrieved from https://www.thejournal.ie/enda-kenny-abortion-2510467-Dec2015/ [accessed 1 December 2021]

The Citizens' Assembly of Ireland. (n.d.) Citizens' Assembly 2016 - 2018. Retrieved from https://www.citizensassembly.ie/en/previous-assemblies/ [accessed 27 February 2020]

Citizens' Assembly of Ireland. (n.d.) About the Citizens' Assembly. Retrieved from https://2016-2018.citizensassembly.ie/en/About-the-Citizens-Assembly/ [accessed 1 December 2021]

Houses of Oireachtas. (2016). Resolution Approving Establishment of the Citizens’ Assembly. Retrieved from https://www.citizensassembly.ie/en/about-the-citizens-assembly/resolution.pdf [accessed 22 November 2021]

Citzens' Assembly of Ireland. (2018, June). Final Report on the Manner in Which Referenda are Held and Fixed Term Parliaments. Retrieved from https://2016-2018.citizensassembly.ie/en/Manner-in-which-referenda-are-held/Final-Report-on-the-Manner-in-Which-Referenda-are-Held-and-Fixed-Term-Parliaments/Final-Report-on-the-Manner-in-Which-Referenda-are-Held-and-Fixed-Term-Parliaments.html [accessed 1 December 2021]

Citizens' Assembly of Ireland. (2017). First Report and Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly: The Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. Retrieved from https://2016-2018.citizensassembly.ie/en/The-Eighth-Amendment-of-the-Constitution/Final-Report-on-the-Eighth-Amendment-of-the-Constitution/Final-Report-incl-Appendix-A-D.pdf [accessed 1 December 2021]

Houses of the Oireachtas. (2017, December). Report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. Retrieved from https://2016-2018.citizensassembly.ie/en/The-Eighth-Amendment-of-the-Constitution/Joint-Oireachtas-Committee-on-the-Eighth-Amendment-of-the-Constitution-/Report-of-the-Joint-Committee-on-the-Eighth-Amendment-of-the-Constitution-.pdf [accessed 1 December 2021]

Houses of the Oireachtas. (2018, September 18). Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution Act 2018. Retrieved from https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2018/29/ [accessed 1 December 2021]

Citizens' Assembly of Ireland. (2018, April 18). Final Report on how the State can make Ireland a leader in tackling climate change. Retrieved from https://2016-2018.citizensassembly.ie/en/How-the-State-can-make-Ireland-a-leader-in-tackling-climate-change/Final-Report-on-how-the-State-can-make-Ireland-a-leader-in-tackling-climate-change/Final-Report-on-how-the-State-can-make-Ireland-a-leader-in-tackling-climate-change.html [accessed 1 December 2021]

Houses of Oireachtas. (2019, March 29). Report of the Joint Committee on Climate Action Climate Change: A Cross-Party Consensus for Action. Retrieved from https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/committee/dail/32/joint_committee_on_climate_action/reports/2019/2019-03-28_report-climate-change-a-cross-party-consensus-for-action_en.pdf [accessed 1 December 2021]

Houses of the Oireachtas. (2019, May 9). Report entitled 'Climate Change: A Cross-Party Consensus on Climate Action': Motion. Retrieved from https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2019-05-09/32/ [accessed 1 December 2021]

Government of Ireland. (2019). Climate Action Plan 2019. Retrieved from https://assets.gov.ie/10206/d042e174c1654c6ca14f39242fb07d22.pdf [accessed 1 December 2021]

Politico. (2019, June 19). The myth of the citizens’ assembly. Retrieved from https://www.politico.eu/article/the-myth-of-the-citizens-assembly-democracy/ [accessed 1 December 2021]

RTE. (2015, May 24). Referendum on presidential age is defeated. Retrieved from https://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0523/703224-presidential-age-referendum/ [accessed 1 December 2021]

Farrell, D.M., Suiter, J., & Harris, C. (2019). ‘Systematizing’ constitutional deliberation: the 2016–18 citizens’ assembly in Ireland. Irish Political Studies, 34(1), 113-123.

Citizens' Assembly of Ireland. (2021). Report of the Citizens' Assembly on Gender Equality. Retrieved from https://www.citizensassembly.ie/en/about-the-citizens-assembly/report-of-the-citizens-assembly-on-gender-equality.pdf [accessed 1 December 2021]

Department of the Taoiseach, Government of Ireland. (2020, October 29). Programme for Government: Our Shared Future. Retrieved from https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/7e05d-programme-for-government-our-shared-future/ [accessed 1 December 2021]

PARLAMENT DER DEUTSCHSPRACHIGEN GEMEINSCHAFT . (2019, February 25). 25. FEBRUAR 2019 – DEKRET ZUR EINFÜHRUNG EINES PERMANENTEN BÜRGERDIALOGS IN DER DEUTSCHSPRACHIGEN GEMEINSCHAFT. Retrieved from https://www.buergerdialog.be/fileadmin/redakteure/downloads/Buergerdialog-Dekret.pdf [accessed 7 December 2021]

IOPD. (n.d.) The Ostbelgien Model: a long-term Citizens' Council combined with short-term Citizens' Assemblies. Retrieved from https://oidp.net/en/practice.php?id=1237 [accessed 7 December 2021]

Niessen, C., & Reuchamps, M. (2019). Designing a Permanent Deliberative Assembly: The Ostbelgien Model in Belgium. Retrieved from http://www.governanceinstitute.edu.au/magma/media/upload/ckeditor/files/Designing%20a%20permanent%20deliberative%20citizens%20assembly.pdf [accessed 7 December 2021]

GOVLAB. (n.d.) Ostbelgien and Brussels Sortition. Retrieved from https://congress.crowd.law/files/Belgian_Sortition_Models.pdf [accessed 7 December 2021]

Scottish Government. (2021, July 1). Supporting climate justice across the globe. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/news/supporting-climate-justice-across-the-globe/ [accessed 22 November 2021]

Participedia. (2021). The Citizens' Convention on Climate. Retrieved from https://participedia.net/case/6044 [accessed 7 December 2021]

Carnegie Europe. (2020, November 5). Getting Climate Citizens’ Assemblies Right. Retrieved from https://carnegieeurope.eu/2020/11/05/getting-climate-citizens-assemblies-right-pub-83133 [accessed 8 December 2021]

Convention Citoyenne pour le Climat. (n.d.) The Governance Committee. Retrieved from https://www.conventioncitoyennepourleclimat.fr/en/comite-gourvernance/ [accessed 7 December 2021]

Convention Citoyenne pour le Climat. (n.d.) Les garants. Retrieved from https://www.conventioncitoyennepourleclimat.fr/en/les-garants/ [accessed 7 December 2021]

Convention Citoyenne pour le Climat. (2020, June 21). CITIZENS’ CONVENTION ON CLIMATE REPORT. Retrieved from https://www.conventioncitoyennepourleclimat.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/062020-CCC-propositions-synthese-EN.pdf [accessed 7 December 2021]

Deliberative Democracy Digest. (2021, June 9). The promises and disappointments of the French Citizens’ Convention for Climate. Retrieved from https://www.publicdeliberation.net/the-promises-and-disappointments-of-the-french-citizens-convention-for-climate/ [accessed 7 December 2021]

Climate Change News. (2021, January 12). French draft climate law criticised for weakening ambition of citizens’ assembly. Retrieved from https://www.climatechangenews.com/2021/01/12/french-draft-climate-law-criticised-weakening-ambition-citizens-assembly/ [accessed 7 December 2021]

DW. (2021, February). France's citizen climate assembly: A failed experiment? . Retrieved from https://www.dw.com/en/frances-citizen-climate-assembly-a-failed-experiment/a-56528234 [accessed 7 December 2021]

Reuters. (2021, May 4). French parliament approves climate change bill to green the economy. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/french-parliament-approves-wide-ranging-climate-change-bill-green-economy-2021-05-04/ [accessed 7 December 2021]

Citizens' Information. (2021, November 12). Convention on the Constitution. Retrieved from https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/irish_constitution_1/constitutional_convention.html [accessed 1 December 2021]

Last Updated: 13/12 6:05am

Image: Diagram depicting the process for selection to the Citizens' Council, the establishment of Citizens' Panels and the interaction with the legislature in Ostbelgien, Belgium.

An error occured while loading, please try again in a few minutes.