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1、THESUPREMECOURTOn1October2009,theHouseofLordswasreplacedbyanewSupremeCourtasthehighestcourtwithintheEnglishlegalsystemTheHouseofLords,astheupperchamberofparliament,continuestoexist,butitsmembershiphasbeenreducedbythe12LawLordswhopreviouslysatthere,andwhonowsitasjusticesinthenewSupremeCou
2、rt.THESEPARATIONOFPOWERSTheideaoftheseparationofpowers,whichcanbetracedbacktoancientGreekpoliticalphilosophy,isbasedontheexistenceofthreedistinctfunctionsofgovernment(thelegislative,executiveandjudicialfunctions)andtheconvictionthatthesefunctionsshouldbekeptapartinordertopreventthecentra
3、lisationoftoomuchpower.Thelegislatureisthebodywithintheconstitutioninwhichthepowerofmakinglawislocated.Underdemocraticconstitutionsthebodywillnormallybeelected.IntheUK,ParliamentisbicameralandismadeoftheHouseofCommonsandtheHouseofLords.Itisalsoworthstatingthatincountrieswithawrittencons
4、titutionandastrongseparationofpowers,therearelimitstothepowerofthelegislaturetomakelaw,inthatitisnotpermissibleforlawstobemadewhichconflictwiththerightsprovidedundertheconstitution.Ifanysuchlawispassed,itisopentochallengeinthecourts,whichmaystrikeitdownasbeingunconstitutional.However,the
5、UKhasnowrittenconstitutionassuchandfunctionsunderthedoctrineofparliamentarysovereignty.ThiseffectivelymeansthatParliamentisnotjusttheultimatesourceoflaw,butitcanmakesuchlawasitdetermines,whichcannotbechallengedinthecourtsastoitscontent.EventheHumanRightsAct1998,whichintroducedtheEuropean
6、ConventionofHumanRightsandFundamentalFreedomsintoUKlaw,maintainsthedoctrineofparliamentarysovereigntytotheextentthatthecourtscannotdeclareprimarylegislationtobeinvalidonthegroundsthatitconflictswiththeconvention.Courtsmayissueadeclarationofincompatibility,butsuchadeclarationdoesnotinvali
7、datethelegislationinquestionandanyactiontoremedytheconflictmustbeundertakenbythelegislature.Theexecutive,asitsnamesuggests,istheinstitutionthatexecutesthelaw,iecarriesitintoeffect.Itisessentiallythegovernmentoperatingthroughtheinstrumentofthestate,suchasthecivilservicean
