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The Three Branches: A Comparative Model of Separation of Powers

The Three Branches: A Comparative Model of Separation of Powers

Author: Christoph Moellers
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780198738084

Published In: March 2015
Format: Paperback , 286 pages
Jurisdiction: U.K. ? Disclaimer:
Countri(es) stated herein are used as reference only
Hardback Edition ISBN: 9780199602117

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Description
Contents
Author

Details

Develops a normative model justifying the constitutional principle of the separation of powers grounded in a liberal theory
Analyses the applicability of the traditional model of the separation of powers in the context of international organizations like the EU and WTO
Draws on comparative constitutional analysis to present a jurisdictionally-neutral model for power separation

The idea of the separation of powers is still popular in much political and constitutional discourse, though its meaning for the modern state remains unclear and contested. This book develops a new, comprehensive, and systematic account of the principle. It then applies this new concept to legal problems of different national constitutional orders, the law of the European Union, and international institutional law. It connects an argument from normative political theory with phenomena taken from comparative constitutional law. The book argues that the conflict between individual liberty and democratic self-determination that is characteristic of modern constitutionalism is proceduralized through the establishment of different governmental branches.

A close analysis of the relation between individual and collective autonomy on the one hand and the ways lawmaking through public institutions can be established on the other hand helps us identify criteria for determining how legislative, administrative, and judicial lawmaking can be distinguished and should be organized. These criteria define a common ground in the confusing variety of western constitutional traditions and their diverse use of the notion of separated powers. They also enable us to establish a normative framework that throws a fresh perspective on problems of constitutional law in different constitutional systems: constitutional judicial review of legislation, limits of legislative delegation, parliamentary control of the executive, and standing. Linking arguments from comparative constitutional law and international law, the book then uses this framework to offer a new perspective on the debate on constitutionalism beyond the state. The concept permits certain institutional insights of the constitutional experiences within states to be applied at the international level without falling into any form of methodological nationalism.

Readership: Academics and students working in constitutional law, constitutional theory, and political theory

Introduction: Constitutional Theory and Political Philosophy
1: Division of Powers: Traditions and Meanings
The traditional division of powers: a comparative sketch on France, England, the United States, and Germany
The separation of powers - functions and meanings of a concept
Conclusions
2: Self-Determination as the Source of Separated Powers
Self-determination as the basic concept of legitimacy
Self-determination through law
The three powers: a model from legitimacy
Conclusions
3: Problems of Separated Powers in the Constitutional State
Parliament and Government
Constitutional Review
Limits of judicial control of the administration
Conclusions
4: Separation of Powers Beyond the State
Introduction: The internationalization of law, an analysis from legitimacy
The internationalized constitutional state
European integration
International law
Hybrid organizations
5: Outlook: Governance - Constitutionalization - A Fourth Branch?

Christoph Möllers, Professor of Law at Humboldt-University and Permanent Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Berlin, studied Law, Philosophy, and Comparative Literature at the Universities of Tübingen, Madrid, and Munich. He holds a Dr. iur. from the University of Munich and a Master of Law of the University of Chicago Law School. He was a Fellow at NYU School of Law and a Visiting Professor at Central European University Budapest and Université Paris II, Panthéon-Assas.