7/24/2019 parliment soverignty

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JOANNA LING ayutomoe@gmail.com

Comparison between Constitutional Supremacy and arliamentary Supremacy!

"espite t#e many di$erences between constitutional so%ereignty

and parliamentary so%ereignty& t#ere e'ist diminuti%e similarities between t#ese tw

oconcepts. One o( t#e similarities is t#e position o( bot# constitutional supremacy

and parliamentary supremacy as t#e #ig#est law o( t#e land

w#ile anot#er similarity t#at can be identi)ed (rom t#e c#aracteristics is t#at bot#

supremacies are up#eld by t#e courts o( t#e land.

In countries w#ere constitutional supremacy is practiced& t#e constitution itsel( is

superior to all ot#er laws in t#e country. It is used as a yardstic* to %eri(y t#e %alidity

o( all ot#er laws o( t#e land& and any law t#at is at odds wit# t#e written constitution

will be pronounced null and negated.

In t#e same way& (or countries suc# as t#e +nited ,ingdom w#o

practices parliamentary supremacy& t#e parliament and t#e acts passed by

parliament are gi%en t#e status o( being t#e #ig#est law o( t#e land. It does not

matter w#at area o( law t#at is in -uestion& t#e parliament remain supreme and can

legislate upon any subect matter& be it prospecti%e or e%en retrospecti%e.

/o%ing on to t#e ne't similarity& t#e courts o( t#e land are t#e ones w#o

up#old bot# constitutional supremacy and parliamentary supremacy. 0or countries

w#ic# practices constitutional so%ereignty& aut#orities are %ested upon superior

courts to ascertain t#e legality o( bot# (ederal and state laws and s#ould any

inconsistency and contradiction ta*e place& t#e courts would declare suc# con1icts

as null and %oid& causing t#em to be in%alid.

Li*ewise& t#e courts o( t#e realm up#old t#e concept o( parliamentary supremacy in

countries w#ere suc# a concept is applicable. 2#is so%ereignty is t#e underlying rule

o( t#e common law w#ic# udges are re-uired to up#old in t#e irrespecti%e courts. In

addition& t#e udiciary cannot -uestion t#e %alidity o( t#e acts passed by

parliament and #a%e to accept t#e law as it is so as to sustain t#e absolute

superiority o( t#e parliament.