English Constitutional History for Law Students.
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| c. | The federal system involves communities, which have at one time been independent of each other, incorporated in a union. The central Government then deals with such matters as foreign policy, defence, postal communication, etc., while each one of the Federal States deals with matters concerning its own affairs each of them by its own Legislature. Switzerland and United States of America are examples of the federal system. | ||||||||||
| C. | In addition to the four essential characteristics of our Constitution, there are certain other features which require attention: firstly, the "absolute sovereignty of Parliament"; secondly, what is known as the "rule of law." | ||||||||||
| I. | The Absolute Sovereignty of Parliament is not difficult to appreciate. It signifies that there is nothing which Parliament cannot legally do. The only limits which exist on its powers are not legal limits but physical and moral ones. It is physically impossible for Parliament to turn a man into a woman, though legally the proposition presents no difficulty. Parliament can enact that everybody over forty years of age shall be beheaded, but the moral conscience of the individuals who compose the Legislature makes the passing of such an Act impossible. | ||||||||||
| II. | The Rule of Law signifies that everyone in the country is bound to conform to the laws of the land (except, of course, the King himself). Though we lave a body of military law in this country to which members of the military forces must conform, nevertheless they are not thereby excused from obedience to the general law of the land, and must submit to it just as an ordinary civilian is bound to do. | ||||||||||
