A constitutional crisis is a severe breakdown in the smooth operation of government. 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). Low-level disputes of this nature are commonplace in everyday government operation, and the point at which such a dispute becomes a constitutional crisis is difficult to define precisely. However, a good guideline is that a crisis occurs when one or more parties to the dispute refuses to recognize the right or power of another constitutional body to resolve or arbitrate the dispute. Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme political (e. ... The separation of powers (or trias politica, a term coined by French political Enlightenment thinker Montesquieu) is a model for the governance of democratic states. ... A legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ... In law, the judiciary or judicature is the system of courts which administer justice in the name of the sovereign or state, and provide a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ... In some federations, a province (subnational entity) is called a state. ...

A constitutional crisis may occur because one or more parties to the dispute willfully chooses 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 are allowed to secede from the Union; however, after the secession of several states was forcibly prevented in the U.S. Civil War, it has become generally accepted that states cannot leave the Union. The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the northern states, popularly referred to as the U.S., the Union, the North, or the Yankees; and the seceding southern states, commonly referred to as the Confederate States of America, the CSA, the Confederacy...

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. Look up rebellion in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... It has been suggested that Revolutionary be merged into this article or section. ...

A constitutional crisis can lead to government paralysis, collapse, or civil war. List of civil wars List of divided nations List of fictional wars (including fictional civil wars) Wars of national liberation The Logic of Violence in Civil War What makes a civil war? The Wars of the Roses Information about the English civil war fought between 1455 and 1487. ...

Incomplete list of constitutional crises by country

Australia

• The Australian constitutional crisis of 1975 that saw Prime Minister Gough Whitlam dismissed by the nation's normally apolitical Governor General, in response to a prolonged budget deadlock in parliament.

The secretary of the Governor-General, David Smith, announcing the dissolution of Parliament on November 11th, 1975. ... Edward Gough Whitlam AC QC (born 11 July 1916), known as Gough Whitlam (, pronounced Goff), Australian politician and 21st Prime Minister of Australia. ... A Governor-General (in Canada, Governor General) is most generally a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above ordinary governors [1]. The most common contemporary usage of the term is to refer to the royally-appointed territorial governor of a region, or royal representative in a country...

Belgium

• Belgium saw a constitutional crisis in the 1990s when King Badouin refused to sign a law allowing abortion.

See also 1990s, the band Germans dancing on the Berlin Wall in late 1989, the symbol of the cold war divide falls down as the world unites in the 1990s. ... Baudouin I, King of the Belgians, (Baudouin/Boudewijn Albert Charles Léopold Axel Marie Gustave) (7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993), reigned as King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993. ... Weighing scales represent the way law balances peoples interests For other senses of this word, see Law (disambiguation). ...

Canada

• The King-Byng Affair of 1926 in Canada, where Governor General Viscount Byng of Vimy refused a request by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King that Parliament be dissolved and new elections called. Instead, Byng dismissed King and appointed Arthur Meighen as Prime Minister.
• The controversy over the patriation of the Constitution Act, 1867. The Quebec Veto Reference found that Québec did not have a veto on the patriation, leading to the current situation where the National Assembly of Québec refuses to ratify the Constitution Act in its current form, even though it is still bound by it.

Mackenzie King requested a dissolution of Parliament The King-Byng Affair was a 1926 Canadian constitutional crisis that occurred when the Governor General of Canada, Lord Byng of Vimy, refused a request by the Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, to dissolve parliament and call a general election. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Governor General of Canada (French: Gouverneure générale du Canada or Gouverneur général du Canada) is the representative of the Canadian Monarch. ... Julian Hedworth George Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy (September 11, 1862 - June 6, 1935) was commander of the Canadian army in World War I, and later became Governor General of Canada. ... Stephen Harper is the current Prime Minister of Canada. ... William Lyon Mackenzie King, OM, PC, LL.B, Ph. ... Arthur Meighen, PC , QC , BA , LL.D (June 16, 1874 – August 5, 1960) was the ninth Prime Minister of Canada from July 10, 1920, to December 29, 1921, and June 29 to September 25, 1926. ... Patriation is a legal term particularly used in Canada, to describe a process of constitutional change also known as bringing home the constitution. ... The Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly called the British North America Act, 1867, and still known informally as the BNA Act), comprises a major part of Canadas constitution. ... Quebec Veto Reference (Reference re Amendment to the Canadian Constitution) [1982] 2 S.C.R. 793 is a leading Supreme Court of Canadas decision on whether the province of Quebec has veto power in the patriation of the Constitution of Canada. ... During the 1960s, a terrorist group known as the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) launched a decade of bombings, robberies and attacks on government offices. ... // The Quebec Parliament Building at night The National Assembly of Quebec (French: Assemblée nationale du Québec) is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec, Canada. ...

Democratic Republic of the Congo

• President Joseph Kasavubu and Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba attempted to dismiss each other in September 1960. Kasavubu prevailed in a coup led by Mobutu later that month.

Joseph Kasa Vubu (c. ... Patrice Lumumba as the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1960 Patrice Émery Lumumba (2 July 1925 – 17 January 1961) was an African anti-colonial leader and the first legally elected Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after he helped to win its independence... Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku wa za Banga (or Mobutu Sese Seko Koko Ngbendu Wa Za Banga; October 14, 1930 - September 7, 1997) was the President of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) from 1965 to 1997. ...

Denmark

• The Easter Crisis of 1920, when King Christian X of Denmark dismissed the country's cabinet.

The Easter Crisis of 1920 was a significant event in the evolution of constitutional monarchy in the state of Denmark. ... Christian X of Denmark (Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm) (September 26, 1870 – April 20, 1947) was King of Denmark from 1912 to 1947 and of Iceland between 1918 and 1944. ...

England

For crises after 1707, see United Kingdom

• The 1215 Barons' revolt against the rule of King John, which led to the Magna Carta. Immediately, John repudiated Magna Carta, leading to the First Barons' War.
• The Break with Rome, when King Henry VIII declared the Church of England free of the Roman Catholic Church and anointed himself Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
• King Charles I's insistence on the Divine Right of Kings, manifest in the 11-year Personal Rule, and leading directly to the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
• The Glorious Revolution of 1688-89. The flight of King James II / VII from the country left no king in his place to rule England or Scotland or to summon a Parliament. When King William and Queen Mary jointly replaced him there was therefore no legally recognised Parliament to legitimise their irregular succession to the throne. This led to the Crown and Parliament Recognition Act 1689.

// Events A certified copy of the Magna Carta June 15 - King John of England forced to put his seal to the Magna Carta, outlining the rights of landowning men (nobles and knights) and restricting the kings power. ... John (French: Jean) (December 24, c. ... Magna Carta Magna Carta (Latin for Great Charter, literally Great Paper), also called Magna Carta Libertatum (Great Charter of Freedoms), is an English charter originally issued in 1215. ... The First Barons War (1215–1217) was a civil war in England between the forces of a number of rebellious barons and King John. ... The specifically English church originates primarily from events in the late 6th century in the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Kent, and the mission of Saint Augustine. ... For the play, see Henry VIII (play). ... The Church of England is the officially established Christian church[1] in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see Terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus, with its traditions first established by the Twelve Apostles and maintained through... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Ireland, and King of Scots from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. ... The Divine Right of Kings is a European political and religious doctrine of political absolutism. ... The Personal Rule refers to the period from 1629 to 1640, when King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland ruled without recourse to Parliament. ... The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were an intertwined series of conflicts that took place in Scotland, Ireland, and England between 1639 and 1651 at a time when these countries had come under the Personal Rule of the same monarch. ... The Glorious Revolution was the overthrow of James II of England in 1688 by a union of Parliamentarians and the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau (William of Orange). ... James VII of Scotland and James II of England (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) became King of Scots, King of England, and King of Ireland on 6 February 1685, and Duke of Normandy on 31 December 1660. ... States currently utilizing parliamentary systems are denoted in red and orange—the former being constitutional monarchies where authority is vested in a parliament, and the latter being parliamentary republics whose parliaments are effectively supreme over a separate head of state. ... William III Mary II The phrase William and Mary usually refers to the joint sovereignty over the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland of King William III and his wife Queen Mary II. Their joint reign began in February, 1689, when they were called to the throne by... The Crown and Parliament Recognition Act 1689 (2 Will & Mar c. ...

Fiji

• In the Fiji constitutional crisis of 1977, the winning party in a general election failed to name a government due to internal conflicts. The Governor-General intervened, appointing a prime minister from the opposition party.

Categories: Pages needing attention | Stub | Fiji-related stubs | History of Fiji | Politics of Fiji ...

Iran

• Mohammed Reza Pahlavi's 1953 dismissal of Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh and Mossadegh's subsequent refusal to quit the office.

His Majesty Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (اعلیحضرت محمدرضا شاه پهلوی; October 26, 1919 – July 27, 1980) also knows as Aryamehr, was the last Shah of Iran, ruling from 1941 until... Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh Mohammed Mossadegh ( )(Persian: ‎ ​, also Mosaddegh or Mosaddeq) (19 May 1882 - 5 March 1967) was the democratically elected[1] prime minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953. ...

Malaysia

• The 1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis was a series of events that began with the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) general election in 1987 and ended with the suspension and the eventual removal of Lord President of the Supreme Court of Malaysia Tun Salleh Abas from his seat.

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building housed the Supreme Court at the time of the 1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis. ... UMNO Flag The United Malays National Organisation, or UMNO, (Malay: Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu), is the largest political party in Malaysia and a founding member of the Barisan Nasional coalition, which has ruled the country uninterruptedly since its independence. ... Lord President of the Federal Court of Malaysia was formerly the title of the head of the judiciary in Malaysia, from the formation of Malaysia in 1963 until 1994. ... The Malay language has a complex system of titles and honorifics, which is still extensively used in Malaysia and Brunei. ... -1...

Malta

• The 1981 election, when, due to a quirk in that country's Single Transferrable Vote system, the party winning more than half the votes won less than half the seats.

1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Single Transferable Vote, or STV, is a preference voting system designed to minimise wasted votes in multi-candidate elections while ensuring that votes are explicitly for candidates rather than party lists. ...

Nepal

• The Loktantra Andolan movement of 2006, which rejected King Gyanendra's year-long direct rule and stripped him of political authority.

Loktantra Andolan (Nepali for Democracy Movement) is a name given to the ongoing agitations against the rule of King Gyanendra of Nepal. ... King Gyanendra King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal (born July 7, 1947) has been the king of Nepal since June 2001. ...

New Zealand

• Prime Minister Sir Robert Muldoon's 1984 refusal to devalue the dollar as per the instructions of the Prime Minister-elect, David Lange. The cabinet rebelled against Muldoon, who relented. The upshot was the passage of the Constitution Act, which patriated the constitution from the United Kingdom.

The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealands head of government and is the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand. ... The Right Honourable Sir Robert David (Rob) Muldoon GCMG CH (25 September 1921–5 August 1992) served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A New Zealand $100 polymer banknote, replacement of the old paper notes. ... David Russell Lange (IPA: lɔŋi) CH, ONZ (4 August 1942 — 13 August 2005), served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. ... The Constitution Act of 1986 is the principal formal statement of New Zealands Constitution. ...

Norway

• The dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway in 1905.

Postcard with photo of Prince Carl of Denmark, candidate for king. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Pakistan

• Supreme Court Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah clashed repeatedly with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in late 1997, accusing him of undermining the court's independence. After Ali Shah suspended a constitutional amendment that prevented dismissal of the prime minister, Sharif ordered President Farooq Leghari to appoint a new chief justice. When Leghari refused, Sharif considered impeaching him, but backed down after a warning from the armed forces. Faced with a choice of accepting Sharif's demands or dismissing him, Leghari resigned. Ali Shah resigned shortly afterward, establishing Sharif's dominance.

Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan Sajjad Ali Shah Sajjad Ali Shah was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. ... Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif (Urdu: میاں محمد نواز شریف ) was born on December 25, 1949 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. ... Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari (Urdu: سردار فاروق احمد خان لغاری) (b. ... Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body formally levels charges against a high official of government. ...

Rome

• The crossing of the Rubicon by Julius Caesar in 49 BC with his legions. This action, which had no precedent, precipitated a crisis only fully resolved in 31 BC, when Octavian defeated all his enemies to become the sole master of the Roman world.

Presumed course of the Rubicon The Rubicon (Rubico, in Italian Rubicone) is an ancient Latin name for a small river in northern Italy. ... Gāius Jūlius Caesar (IPA: ;[1]), July 12 or July 13, 100 BC – March 15, 44 BC) was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men in world history. ... Consuls: Lucius Cornelius Lentulus Crus, Gaius Claudius Marcellus Maior. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC - 30s BC - 20s BC 10s BC 0s 10s 20s Years: 36 BC 35 BC 34 BC 33 BC 32 BC 31 BC 30 BC 29 BC 28 BC 27 BC... Augustus Caesar The title Caesar Augustus, given to every emperor of the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire, originates from this person. ...

Russia

• The constitutional crisis of 1993: a conflict between Russian President Boris Yeltsin and the Russian parliament lead by Ruslan Khasbulatov, which resulted in a military siege of the parliament building and street fighting, claiming 187 lives. Aleksandr Rutskoy assumed the powers of the Acting President of Russia for a few days.

Boris Yeltsin was President of the Russian Federation at the time of the crisis. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... The President of Russia (ru: Президент России is the highest position within the Government of Russia. ... Yeltsin redirects here. ... Ruslan Khasbulatov speaks to Radio Free Europe in 2003 Ruslan Imranovich Khasbulatov (Руслан Имранович Хасбулатов) (born 1942) is a Russian economist and politician who played a central role in the events leading to the 1993 constitutional crisis in the Russian Federation. ... Aleksandr Vladimirovich Rutskoy (ru: Александр Владимирович Руцкой)(born September 16, 1945, Kursk, Russia) was a Soviet military officer and a Russian politician. ...

Scotland

For crises after 1707, see United Kingdom

• The succession crisis resulting from the death of Queen Margaret in 1290. Edward I of England, whose son Edward was to marry Margaret, was asked to arbitrate, and chose John Balliol, who swore an oath of fealty to Edward, turning Scotland into an English vassal in 1292. Soon, Balliol and the Scottish nobility revolted, leading to the Wars of Scottish Independence.

Margaret (1283–1290), known as the Maid of Norway, is traditionally considered to have been Queen of Scots from 1286 until her death although she never came to Scotland and was never inaugurated at Scone. ... For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), popularly known as Longshanks because of his 6 foot 2 inch (1. ... Edward II, (April 25, 1284 – September 21, 1327), of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until deposed in January, 1327. ... John Balliol and his wife. ... Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste. ... For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between Scotland and England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. ...

Thailand

• In March, 2006, 60 seats of the assembly of Thailand could not be elected, and Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra resigned.

2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wikinews has news related to: Thai PM Shinawatra ousted by coup   (Thai: , IPA: ; born July 26, 1949 in Chiang Mai, Thailand with family roots in Meizhou, Guangdong, China), Thai businessman and politician, is the deposed Prime Minister of Thailand and the former leader of the populist Thai Rak Thai party. ...

United Kingdom

• The rejection of the 1909 People's Budget by the House of Lords. This caused a two-year impasse, leading to the 1911 Parliament Act.
• The 1936 Edward VIII abdication crisis, when King Edward VIII abdicated the Commonwealth crowns after the respective governments refused to grant him permission to marry a divorcee, Wallis Simpson.

1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Peoples Budget was proposed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd George in 1909, and was a key issue of contention between the Liberal government and the House of Lords, ultimately leading to two general elections in 1910 and the enactment of the Parliament Act 1911. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ... The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Instrument of Abdication signed by Edward VIII and his three brothers Like King Henry VIII of England, whose wish to marry Anne Boleyn in the 1530s shook his kingdom, King Edward VIII created a crisis for the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth in the 1930s when he wished... Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David Windsor; later The Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India from the death of his father, George V (1910–36... The Duke and Duchess of Windsor on their wedding day, as photographed by Cecil Beaton. ...

United States of America

• The Nullification Crisis of 1832, in which South Carolina declared that it would not permit collection of a federal tariff
• The secession of the southern U.S. states prior to the American Civil War, which the federal government did not recognize.
• 1876 presidential election: Republicans and Democratics disputed voting results in three Southern states. A congressional panel voted along party lines in favor of Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes, who dampened Southern fury by withdrawing federal troops from the South.