Did it close the door of ijtihad?

The issue of ijtihad is one of the important issues that have been raised old and new. In this article, Halaq responds to Shakht - and others - who claimed that Sharia is rigid and petrified, and that this is due to what was claimed to be "the closure of the door of ijtihad." Halaq traces the roots of this issue historically, attempting to answer the question: Has the door of ijtihad been closed? And who closed it?