Separation of Powers and Universal Suffrage
The introduction of universal suffrage for the selection of the Hong Kong Chief Executive is often portrayed as the answer to the problems afflicting the executive-legislative relationship in Hong Kong. But even in the increasingly unlikely event that a consensus can be reached on the necessary electoral methods, the introduction of universal suffrage would, by itself, do little to address some of the structural problems that spring from the strong system of separation of powers — and, particularly, separation of persons — that exists under the Hong Kong Basic Law.The near total separation of membership of the executive and legislature in Hong Kong weakens the political party system and creates the potential for deadlock between the two branches of the political structure. Such structural issues will need to be addressed alongside the introduction of universal suffrage.If the introduction of a parliamentary system is considered too radical a solution in Hong Kong, such reforms should instead focus on finding the maximum cross membership possible within the present constitutional structure, and improving channels of communication between the executive and legislature. Such reforms would also offer hope for addressing some of the problems currently afflicting the executive-legislative relationship in Hong Kong, even if consensus cannot be reached on the introduction of universal suffrage.
The Political Form of the Constitution: The Separation of Powers, Rights and Representative Democracy
According to article 16 of the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789, 'A society where rights are not secured or the separation of powers established has no constitution at all'. Together with representative government, which to a large extent was assimilated to the second, these two principles have defined constitutionalism. In recent years. however, the first has come to predominate. This article suggests an alternative story. I shall argue that both historically and substantively liberal rights-based constitutionalism must be located within a more republican conception of the constitution as a system of politics.’ I begin by analysing the main features and problems of the doctrine of the separation of powers, and its relationship to rights and the rule of law. I then survey the historical development of the theory. I note how it was first combined with organic theories of mixed government and the balancing of powers within the body politic, and then transformed by the view of political societies as a popular construct and incorporated within representative democracy.
Extranasal type of nasal glioma
Summary A case of a rare congenital tumor; a nasal glioma of the extranasal type has been presented which seems sufficiently unusual to be worthy of reporting. The various theories as to the origin and nature of these lesions have been discussed in the paper by Hill6 and others, 1, 2, 5 but it is the belief of the authors that most or probably all of these lesions represent a congenital malformation.