CONSTITUTIONALISM (KEPERLEMBAGAAN) Spirit CONSTITUTIONAL-Body

- Relief, cara pemikiran, mesti dilaksanakan mengikut satu aliran pemikiran

dan perlu ditaksirkan ke dalam kehidupan.
- Country need government to take care, giving government power but the
power given ber syarat, avoid penyalahgunaan, rakyat tidak akan
tertindas, no arbitrary of power.
- Limitation of government power
- Restriction on the power of government

B.O. NWABUEZE- Namun keperluan kerajaan mengakibatkan masalah yang

sedia terdapat di sesebuah kerajaan dan bagaimana untuk menentukan
kuasa-kuasanya akan digunakan atas kebaikan masyarakat. Keperluan untuk
mengiktiraf kepada negara bahawa pada asanya ia membawa makna
menghadkan kuasa kerajaan. Antithesis(idea lawan) kepada perlawanan
sewenang-wenangnya. Makna lawannya adalah kerajaan despot iaitu
kerajaan dikuasai oleh nafsu dan bukan dikuasai oleh undang-undangnya.

Nwabueze it is this limiting of the arbitrariness of political power that is

expressed in the concept of constitutionalism. Constitutionalism recognizes
the necessity of government but insists upon a limitation being placed upon
its powers. It connotes in essence therefore a limitation on government; it is
the antithesis of arbitrary rule; its opposite is despotic government, the
government of will instead of law.

- Antithesis to arbitrary rules = constitutional rules

- Benevolent kind; doesnt mean follow to the constitutional rules (eg: do
highway)

S.A De Smith 1962, commonwealth keperlembagaan dalam makna

formalnya, prinsip yang melaksanakan kuasa politik akan tersekat atau
ditentukan oleh peraturan-peraturan yang menentukan kesahihan tindakan
tersebut. Peraturan ini bersifat procedur dan mesti dipatuhi mereka waktu
melaksanakan tugas-tugas atau dengan menyatakan sekatan-sekatan kuasa
kepasa mereka atau the rules must determine they have authority to perform
action at the first place.

S.A De Smith - The idea of constitutionalism involves the proposition that the
exercise of governmental power shall be bound by rules, rules prescribing the
procedure according to which legislative and executive acts are to be
performed and delimiting their permissible content- Constitutionalism
becomes a living reality to the extent that these rules curb arbitrariness of
discretion and are in fact observed by the wielders of political power, and to
the extent that within the forbidden zones upon which authority may not
trespass there is significant room for the enjoyment of individual liberty

4 requirements from De Smith (without this, constitutional doesnt exist)

 - 1) kerajaan(executive branch) bertanggungjawab kepada sebuah badan
lain yang asing dan bebas daripadanya. Responsible to the body which is
independent from it. Eg: parlimen independent from executive.
- 2) pilihan raya diadakan secara bebas mengikut prinsip kesamarataan dan
periodicaly (every 4-5 years) demokrasi
- 3) menentukan bahawa kuasanya akan sentiasa dijaga. Politik mesti bebas
menganjurkan activity dan bebas untuk berkempen sebelum pilihanraya
untuk menawarkan diri mereka sebagai alternative bagi kerajaan/ parti
yang memerintah.
- 4) terdapat jaminan undang-undang yang effective terhadap hak-hak sivil
asas rakyat yang dikuatkuasakan oleh sebuah badan kehakiman yang
benar-benar bebas ( independent judiciary)

Carl Friedrich - Keperlembagaan dibina di atas satu cadangan yang mudah.

Berkerajaan adalah satu set activity yang dianjurkan bagi pihak rakyat tetapi
tertakluk kepada satu siri sekatan-sekatan yang bertujuan untuk menentukan
yang kuasa-kuasa diperlukan bagi tujuan berkerajaan tersebut tidak
disalahgunakan oleh mereka yang diberikan kuasa itu.

- The idea of constitutional had finally emerge, the rest of distrust of

power(tidak percaya kepada kuasa) do not trust human being, tendency
for corrupt power absolutely; great man are always bad man

James Madiso The Federalist 51- if man were angel, no government is

necessary.

- Constitutional is the idea from west country. (4 Ways)

1) Perlembagaan Malaysia ini adalah model barat. (structure of western
constitutional, we take from India.)
2) Prinsip-prinsip perlembagaan western style adalah nilai-nilai sejagat
yang diterima dan dipercayai bagi semua
3) Model perlembagaan eastern value (timur) kerajaan dilindungi secara
keras dan bersifat authority.
4) Prinsip perlembagaan yang dipakai ini adalah sealiran dengan nilai-nilai
timur yang kita ada, ia tidak bercanggah(main stream value) eg: Islam.

Type of constitutional: Giowanri Sartori

1) Nominal/minimal Constitutional perlembagaan yang paling asas sekali;

mengariskan organisasi, tidak menyatakan hak-hak kuasa kerajaan,
secukupnya untuk menjana jentera.
2) Faade Constitutional bersifat berpura-pura, mempunyai semua
peruntukan yang ada( hak hak dan kebebasan asasi) tetapi ianya tidak
dilaksanakan.
3) Garantiste Constitutional perlembagaan sebenar, memerintah dengan
baik, jamin hak rakyat dengan baik, mempunyai kuasa untuk
dilaksanakan.
Meaning of constitutional

Prof Yadley Introduction to British Constitutional Law

The Constitution of any country must comprise of fundamental structure and

organization of that country and therefore constitutional law is its fundamental
law. It is basic essential law whether it be civil, criminal, public or private
together with those rules of conduct laid down to govern the exercise of state
power by the official organs of states.

OHood Phillips Constitutional and Administrative Law

The system of laws, customs and conventions which defines the composition and
powers of the state and regulate the relations of the various state organs to one
another and to the private citizen.

B.O. Nwabueze Normally a constitution is a formal document, having the force

of law by which a society organizes a government or itself, it defines and limits
its powers and prescribes the relation of the various organs inter se and the
citizen.

S.A De Smith Constitutional Law and Administrative Law

Constitutions are primary about political authority and power the location,
conferment, distribution exercise, and limitation of powers among the organs of
the state, more often than not, they also include explicit guarantee the rights
and freedoms of individuals.

Marbury & Madison more to US than British

Structure bersifat tertinggi, bertulis, kekal bahawa rakyat mempunyai hak

semula jadi untuk menetapkan kerajaan mereka, prinsip-prinsip kepada
pandangan mereka, menepati kebahagian mereka adalah asas di atas mara-
mara keseluruhan rangka perlembagaan ini terbina, oleh kerana itu, prinsip
dianggap sebagai asasi dan bentukan adalah bersifat kekal. A nature rights
determine what are principal they find clearly and good for them. Masalah
kerana kita tidak memegang evolusi yang sama seperti masyarakat western.

Autochthonous Constitution home grown, perlembagaan yang diberi dan dibuat

oleh rakyat mereka. Amerika constitution is autochthonous, they berjuang to get
the country, peruntukan dibuat oleh rakyat, mempertahankan perlembagaan.
Strong constitutional.
Malaysia? Reid commissioner (5 peoples) set the constitution and presented to
us as constitution that we accept today, it was given by foreigner. We are not
autochthonous constitution.

Perkara like sensitive issue, religion, language is autochthonous in Malaysia as

people involve creating it rural of law.

Constitution

1) Undang undang tertinggi di dalam negara

2) Rangka kerja @ rangka organisasi sesebuah kerajaan
3) Sebagai alat untuk mengesahkan segala pemberian kuasa kerajaan
4) Memperuntukan kerajaan yang terhad (peraturan dan sekatan)
5) Menjamin hak asasi rakyat
6) Permulaan titik of the formasi of the new country (menwujudkan satu
kerajaan baru)
7) Manusfesto falsafah dan pandu arah kepada sesebuah negara
8) Document yang hidup (living doc)

Ketinggian perlembagaan vs kedaulatan parlimen

Ketinggian perlembagaan kedaulatan parlimen

Professor S.A. de Smith in his book, The Commonwealth and its Constitution1 speaks of
minimum standards that must be observed in a country upholding constitutionalism. He
defined Constitutionalism as "Where the government is genuinely accountable to an entity or
organ distinct from itself, where elections are freely held on a wide franchise at frequent
intervals, where political groups are free to organize in opposition to the government in office
and where there are effective legal guarantees of fundamental civil liberties enforced by an
independent judiciary." If we substitute the word Democracy for Constitutionalism, then
Smith might have produced the closest one gets to an exhaustive and inclusive or an all-
embracing definition of Democracy.

1
According to De Smith in order for a country to qualify it must have regular and transparent
elections held at periodical times, it must allow its citizens to freely mobilize themselves in
political parties and civil associations and trade unions. It must allow freedom of the press
and expression without any internal legislative and executive restraints. Its leaders must be
accountable to the people and be transparent in the manner in which govern the general
citizenry. It must promote the rule of law and separation of powers and the civil service must
be free from executive control. Therefore De Smiths hypothesis is that constitutionalism and
democracy is one and the same thing and that evidence of undemocratic practices constitutes
a serious breach to constitutionalism.