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Doctrine of the Separation of Powers Essay examples

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Doctrine of the Separation of Powers

Although of great antiquity the modern basis for the doctrine of the separation of powers can be traced back to the writings of commentators such as John Locke, who in one of his books written in 1690 observed that "the three organs of government must not get in one hand." The doctrine was further examined by the French jurist Montesquieu who based his exposition on the British constitution of the early 18th Century. In simple terms the doctrine recognises three functions of government, namely legislative, executive and judicial. In its purest form the doctrine holds that each of these three functions should be vested in separate organs of government, with no …show more content…

He can veto legislation but can be overridden by 2/3 majority in both Houses. Treaties are negotiated by him but must be approved by 2/3 of the Senate. He can recommend key officers such as judges of the Supreme Court but they have to be approved by the Senate. Once appointed judges are independent of both Congress and the President. They can be removed by the Senate only for treason, bribery or similar offences.

In the historic decision of Chief Justice Marshall in Marbury V Madison the Supreme Court assumed the power of declaring both Acts of Congress and Acts of the President to be unconstitutional. In fact the separation of powers in the USA does not involve the isolation of each organ from the other two, but rather an elaborate system of checks and balances. The system rests upon an open recognition that particular functions belong primarily to a given organ.

It is generally agreed that the separation of powers is reflected in the British Constitution but not in any formalised way. Sovereign is the head of the executive but her role is more ceremonial. However contrary to the USA doctrine of separations ministers are by convention members of the legislature. While this is a breach of the doctrine it can rationalised by saying that it promotes the responsibility of ministers by ensuring that they can be questioned and make statements to

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