Applications of the Parliamentary System of Government

Britain is one country in the world that is foremost in its adoption and practice of the Parliamentary system of government. It is a system of dual executive in which there is separation between the head of state (the Queen) and the head of government (the Prime Minister). Under this system which is also referred to as cabinet government the parliament is the supreme legislative body in Britain. Nigeria also operated the parliamentary system of government in the First Republic, and like Britain its Parliament was bicameral (the Senate and House of Representatives, but unlike the British model, she operated a written constitution. Before Nigeria became a republic in 1963, the head of state was designated a Governor-General, then a titular head just like the Queen he represented. But after 1963 when Nigeria became a republic the post of head of state was renamed the president. The title of Prime Minister for the head of government was retained in 1963, as it was in 1960 when Nigeria became independent.

Nigeria however discarded the parliamentary system in 1979 after the return to democratic government, because the ills and consequent failure of the First Republic was partly blamed on the parliamentary system of government. In Britain the parliamentary system after centuries of its operation has remained an admirable success story. Since we have discussed extensively the British system under Unit 4 of Module 3 of POL 111 it will be superfluous to dwell at length on the British model of the parliamentary system here. But it will not be out of place to take a  closer look at the institution of the British parliament, and whether it is possible to  reconcile the idea of its much vaunted supremacy with the concept of rule of law.

 Self-Assessment Exercise 3.3

Explain how citizens of a country could enjoy the benefits of the Rule of Law under a system of parliamentary supremacy