The Legislative Acts as a Check on the Executive

1131 Words3 Pages

The Legislative Acts as a Check on the Executive

I am going to look at the main role of both the executive and the

legislature. The above statement does not give a clear insight to what

checks and balances are in place today. Policies have changed since

parliament came into being and this essay will examine how and to what

extent this statement is true. The executive is the administrative

branch of the government; it makes laws through the means of delegated

legislation and drafts bills. The legislature on the other hand enacts

the law but the line between the two powers is somewhat blurred.

The overlap of powers allows parliament to make any change it wishes

by Act of Parliament and helps to ensure against arbitrary exercise of

power. There is almost complete separation of powers in the USAwhere

governmental intransigence in controversial matters is a much bigger

problem than it is in the United Kingdom (here the judges can indulge

in greater law making activities if necessary.). There is little

executive - legislature separation in the UK but much legislature -

executive/judiciary separation. The concept of the separation of

powers was first discussed by two men after observing the British

system; Charles Montesquieu and John Locke.

John Locke wrote in his book 'Second treatise of Civil Government':

"It may be to great a temptation to human frailty, apt to grasp at

power, for the same persons who have the power of making laws, to have

also in their hands the power to execute them, whereby they may exempt

themselves from obedience to the laws they make and suit the law, both

in its making and execution, to their own private adv...

... middle of paper ...

... ministers are members of both powers, the two institutions are

distinct from each other. The process of legislation is different from

the day to day running that the executive carries out.

The power of the executive has grown and checks are in place to

prevent abuse of this power. The question is: are they strong enough?

I believe and the evidence above backs me up that there are a wide

extent of checks and balances but the executive still has an awful lot

of power but the legislature has got its priorities right with

starting to check on it. It is important for the legislature to keep

checking on the executive so that control is maintained and it does

not slip in to more of a dictatorship role. In conclusion therefore

the legislature does act as a check on the executive but it also has

other functions to carryout.

Open Document