![]() | ||
A constitutional crisis is a situation which a legal system's constitution or other basic principle of operation appears unable to resolve; it often results in a breakdown in the orderly operation of government. Often, generally speaking, a constitutional crisis is a situation in which separate factions within a government disagree about the extent to which each of these factions hold sovereignty. Most commonly, constitutional crises involve some degree of conflict between different branches of government (e.g., executive, legislature, and/or judiciary), or between different levels of government in a federal system (e.g., state and federal governments).
Contents
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- The Gambia
- Malawi
- Rhodesia
- South Africa
- Iran
- Malaysia
- Pakistan
- Thailand
- Belgium
- Denmark
- England
- Estonia
- France
- Germany
- Malta
- Norway
- Rome
- Russia
- Scotland
- United Kingdom
- Canada
- Honduras
- United States
- Australia
- Fiji
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- Tuvalu
- Chile
- Peru
- References
A constitutional crisis may occur because one or more parties to the dispute willfully choose to violate a provision of a constitution or an unwritten constitutional convention, or it may occur when the disputants disagree over the interpretation of such a provision or convention. If the dispute arises because some aspect of the constitution is ambiguous or unclear, the ultimate resolution of the crisis often establishes a precedent for the future. For instance, the United States Constitution is silent on the question of whether states may secede from the Union; however, after the secession of several states was forcibly prevented in the American Civil War, it has become generally accepted that states cannot leave the Union.
A constitutional crisis is distinct from a rebellion, which is defined as when factions outside of a government challenge that government's sovereignty, as in a coup or revolution led by the military or civilian protesters.
A constitutional crisis can lead to government paralysis, collapse, or civil war.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Gambia
Malawi
Rhodesia
South Africa
Iran
Malaysia
Pakistan
Thailand
Belgium
Denmark
England
For events after 1707, see below.Estonia
France
Germany
Malta
Norway
Rome
Russia
Scotland
This covers the Kingdom of Scotland, which became part of the Kingdom of Great Britain after 1707. For constitutional crises since then, see United Kingdom below.