Checks and Balances

Checks and balances is a principle of government under which separate branches are empowered to prevent actions by other branches and are induced to share power (Encyclopedia Britannica). This principle is especially enforced in constitutional systems where the exercise of sovereign power must be strictly divided into the tripartite functions of government (legislative, executive, and judicial). From this perspective, the check and balances principle could be seen as a particular enactment of the separation of powers doctrine designed to a) avoid an excessive concentration of powers, and b) favour mutual control between branches. The A. analyzes the checks and balances principle from a comparative constitutional law perspective