Separation of Powers Within the United Kingdom Constitution Essay

Separation of Powers Within the United Kingdom Constitution - Essay Example The English government has three branches which include: the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. The U.K is a constitutional monarchy. The monarch is the executive head of state while the Prime Minister is the head of government. Additionally, the Executive includes cabinet ministers, civil service, the police and the armed forces. The Executive formulates and implements government laws. The legislature, formally the â€Å"Queen in Parliament† is responsible for making laws. The judiciary is supposed to be free from parliament and the executive and is responsible for resolving conflicts between institutions of the state, individuals and the state and individuals, immune from criticism. Separation of powers, strengthened by the rule of law and parliamentary sovereignty is highly emphasized in the English Constitution. There would be no liberty if the same man or the same body exercised those three powers. The powers of the three arms of government generally overlap. The British Constitution does not strictly separate the powers. This is mainly due to the complexity and the interrelated nature of the functions of the state. A solid example of overlap between the three branches is the position of Lord Chancellor who is a member of the Cabinet, the head of the judiciary and also chairs the House of Lords when they sit as a legislature. The Constitutional Reform is currently reforming this role to highlight SOP. However, some argue that such a position acts as a bridge between the executive and the judiciary. ... However, some argue that such a position acts as a bridge between the executive and the judiciary. The executive and legislature have great connections in exercise of their powers. According to Bagehot (1867) that relationship is the â€Å"efficient secret of the English Constitution.† Overlaps are evident as seen when ministers sit in parliament and perform legislative functions; and the executive tends to control MPs to vote in a certain way. The government is usually made up of the party with the majority of seats in the House of Commons, which means that the executive has great control on legislative decisions. The Prime Minister, cabinet and bureaucracy determine the legislative agenda and the cabinet. Also, many judicial officers such as the Attorney General and the Lord Chancellor are appointed by the government. The executive generally dominates especially in cases where the government has a firm majority in the House of Commons to the extent that it is assured of winn ing major votes in the House. In Britain, a government of national majority coalition draws its political leadership in dominant control of authoritative decision making; and national public policy. The legislature may interfere in executive roles when government loses a vote of confidence and through Acts of parliament which may affect executive decisions. There is an overlap between the Judiciary and the Executive in that the Lord Chancellor who is the head of Judiciary also sits in the cabinet. In this case a member of the Judiciary finds himself in the cabinet. Again the Lord Chancellor chairs the House of Lords when they sit as legislature. In this instance a person who heads the Judiciary also chairs the proceedings of the legislature. There is