NCJ Number
130885
Date Published
1990
Length
11 pages
Annotation
The concept of sovereignty and its relationship to self-determination are examined in terms of the powers of the British Parliament, of a national government in relation to jurisdictions within the country or to former colonies, and of a country as a whole under concepts of international law.
Abstract
Under the British Constitution, Parliament is sovereign and, technically, can even dissolve the United Kingdom or give dictatorial powers to the government. National sovereignty is distinct from Parliamentary sovereignty, although the application of national sovereignty often occurs through acts of Parliament. National sovereignty is no longer an absolutist concept; sovereignty is essentially a normative concept implying authority and the legitimate use of physical power. Furthermore, if the primacy of international law is accepted, the sovereignty of countries is a relative sovereignty based on principles regarding the conditions under which a territory and a people make up a country. Thus, the legitimacy of a particular government is sometimes at issue, and the concept of a "just war" has developed. In both international and constitutional doctrine, sovereignty may be compromised or overridden by political and moral principles and doctrines. Notes