Become AuggieStudy / Part 3: Government and the law in Australia
How government power is divided
- Power is split three ways: legislative, executive, judicial
- This stops one person or group holding all the power
- Legislative: Parliament makes and changes laws
- Executive: the PM, ministers and Governor-General carry out laws
- Judicial: judges interpret and apply the law
- Courts are independent of parliament and government
| Power | What it does | Who holds it |
|---|---|---|
| Legislative | Makes and changes laws | Parliament |
| Executive | Puts laws into practice | Prime Minister, ministers, Governor-General |
| Judicial | Interprets and applies laws | Judges and courts (independent) |
- Australian ConstitutionDivides power so no one holds it all
- Legislative powerParliament makes laws
- Executive powerPM, ministers and Governor-General put laws into practice
- Judicial powerIndependent judges interpret and apply laws
Key facts
- Three powers: legislative, executive, judicial.
- Purpose: stop any one person or group holding all power.
- Legislative: Parliament makes and changes laws.
- Executive: Prime Minister, ministers, Governor-General put laws into practice.
- Judicial: judges interpret and apply the law.
- Courts are independent of parliament and government.