📚 The Distinction between Legal Sovereignty and Political Sovereignty | 法律主权与政治主权的区别
In the study of the UK constitution, the concept of sovereignty is fundamental. However, students often struggle to distinguish between legal sovereignty and political sovereignty. This article explores the difference, drawing on A.V. Dicey’s classic formulation, and analyses how these two faces of sovereignty interact, conflict, and evolve in the modern British political system.
在英国宪法的研究中，主权概念是基础。然而，学生常常难以区分法律主权和政治主权。本文探讨了这一区别，借鉴了A.V.戴西的经典论述，并分析了这两种主权面貌在现代英国政治体系中如何相互作用、冲突和演变。
1. Defining Sovereignty | 定义主权
Sovereignty is the ultimate source of legal and political authority within a state. In a democracy, it refers to the supreme power to make, enforce and interpret laws. Traditionally, two dimensions are identified: legal sovereignty, which lies with the supreme law-making body, and political sovereignty, which resides with the people or the electorate.
主权是一个国家内法律和政治权威的最终来源。在民主制度中，它指的是制定、执行和解释法律的最高权力。传统上，主权有两个维度：法律主权，属于最高立法机构；政治主权，则属于人民或选民。
Understanding this distinction is essential for evaluating the UK’s uncodified constitution and the limits of government power.
理解这种区别对于评价英国的不成文宪法和政府权力的限度至关重要。
2. The Traditional Doctrine of Parliamentary Sovereignty | 传统的议会主权学说
Parliamentary sovereignty is the cornerstone of the UK constitution. It means that Parliament is the supreme legal authority, able to make or unmake any law. No other body can override or set aside an Act of Parliament. This is often called legal sovereignty.
议会主权是英国宪法的基石。它意味着议会是最高法律权威，可以制定或废除任何法律。任何其他机构都不能推翻或搁置议会立法。这通常被称为法律主权。
However, this doctrine was developed in an era before modern democracy, when the monarch held significant power. Today, while legal sovereignty remains formally with Parliament, political sovereignty operates through elections and referendums.
然而，这一学说是在现代民主之前发展起来的，当时君主拥有重大权力。现今，虽然法律主权形式上仍属于议会，但政治主权通过选举和公投发挥作用。
3. Legal Sovereignty: Dicey’s View | 法律主权：戴西的观点
A.V. Dicey, in Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution (1885), defined legal sovereignty as the body that has the ‘right to make or unmake any law whatever’. For Dicey, this was the ‘King in Parliament’ – the Commons, Lords and monarch acting together.
A.V.戴西在《宪法研究导论》（1885年）中将法律主权定义为”有权制定或废除任何法律”的机构。对戴西而言，这就是”议会中的君主”——下院、上院和君主共同行动。
Legal sovereignty is absolute, continuous and indivisible. It cannot be restricted by any entrenched constitutional law. Yet Dicey acknowledged that behind this legal sovereign, there was a political sovereign – the electorate.
法律主权是绝对的、持续的和不可分割的。它不能被任何刚性成文宪法所限制。然而，戴西承认，在法律主权背后，存在政治主权——选民。
4. Political Sovereignty: The Electorate as Ultimate Authority | 政治主权：选民作为最终权威
Political sovereignty is the underlying power of the people. According to Dicey, the electorate is the political sovereign because it can change the composition of Parliament and ultimately determine who exercises legal sovereignty. Politicians are accountable to voters, and no law can permanently contradict the will of the political sovereign.
政治主权是人民的根本权力。根据戴西，选民是政治主权者，因为它可以改变议会的构成，并最终决定谁来行使法律主权。政治家对选民负责，任何法律都不能永久违背政治主权者的意志。
This idea is reflected in the doctrine of the mandate: a government receives authority to implement its manifesto. If a Parliament defied the electorate’s fundamental wishes, a general election would likely lead to a change in the law.
这一理念反映在授权原则中：政府获得实施其宣言的授权。如果议会违背选民的基本意愿，大选很可能导致法律的改变。
5. The Relationship Between Legal and Political Sovereignty | 法律主权与政治主权的关系
Legal and political sovereignty are not rivals but two layers of the same sovereignty. Legal sovereignty is the formal, legal expression of authority; political sovereignty is the source of that authority in a democracy. Dicey wrote that ‘the will of the electorate, and perhaps of the people, is the underlying political fact’.
法律主权和政治主权并非对手，而是同一主权的两个层面。法律主权是权威的形式化法律表达；政治主权是民主制中权威的来源。戴西写道：”选民的意志，也许是人民的意志，是根本的政治事实。”
In normal times, political sovereignty is dormant, but at elections or referendums it becomes active, giving new instructions to the legal sovereign.
在平常时期，政治主权处于休眠状态，但在选举或公投时，它变得活跃，向法律主权者发出新的指令。
6. The Distinction in Theory and Practice | 理论与实践的区别
Theoretically, legal sovereignty is unlimited. Practically, however, the legal sovereign is constrained by political sovereignty and by practical realities such as public opinion, international obligations, and the need for political consensus.
理论上，法律主权是无限的。然而在实践中，法律主权受到政治主权以及诸如公众舆论、国际义务和政治共识等实际现实的约束。
For example, Parliament could legally abolish elections, but politically it would be impossible because the political sovereign would withdraw consent, potentially through civil disobedience.
例如，议会可以在法律上废除选举，但在政治上这是不可能的，因为政治主权者会撤回同意，甚至通过公民不服从。
7. Challenges to Legal Sovereignty: EU Membership and Human Rights | 法律主权面临的挑战：欧盟成员国地位与人权法
Joining the European Communities (1973) appeared to limit legal sovereignty because EU law took precedence over UK law under the principle of supremacy. The European Communities Act 1972 incorporated EU law, and UK courts could disapply domestic legislation conflicting with EU law.
加入欧共体（1973年）似乎限制了法律主权，因为根据最高地位原则，欧盟法优先于英国法。1972年《欧洲共同体法》纳入了欧盟法，英国法院可以不予适用与欧盟法冲突的国内立法。
Similarly, the Human Rights Act 1998 incorporated the European Convention on Human Rights, allowing courts to issue declarations of incompatibility. Although this did not strike down legislation, it pressured Parliament to amend laws, blurring the traditional legal sovereignty.
类似地，1998年《人权法》纳入了《欧洲人权公约》，允许法院发布不相容声明。尽管这并没有废除立法，但它迫使议会修改法律，模糊了传统的法律主权。
8. Challenges to Political Sovereignty: Devolution and Referendums | 政治主权面临的挑战：权力下放与公投
Devolution has dispersed political sovereignty across the UK. The Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd and Northern Ireland Assembly exercise significant powers, raising questions about whether the traditional concept of a single, indivisible political sovereign still holds. However, Westminster retains legal sovereignty, as these bodies are created by Acts of Parliament and can theoretically be abolished.
权力下放使政治主权分散到全英国。苏格兰议会、威尔士议会和北爱尔兰议会行使重要权力，引发了一个问题：传统的单一、不可分割的政治主权是否仍然成立。然而，威斯敏斯特保留了法律主权，因为这些机构是由议会法案设立的，理论上可以被废除。
The increased use of referendums, such as the Scottish independence referendum (2014) and the EU referendum (2016), directly activated political sovereignty, often in tension with parliamentary sovereignty. The Brexit referendum revealed a sharp conflict when many MPs opposed leaving the EU but the political sovereign had spoken.
公投使用的增加，如苏格兰独立公投（2014年）和欧盟公投（2016年），直接激活了政治主权，常常与议会主权发生冲突。英国脱欧公投揭示了一种尖锐冲突：许多议员反对退出欧盟，但政治主权者已经发表了意见。
9. The UK’s Changing Constitution and Sovereignty | 英国变化的宪法与主权
The UK constitution is evolving from a pure model of parliamentary sovereignty towards a more pluralistic model where legal and political sovereignty are shared among multiple actors. The principle of parliamentary sovereignty remains central, but it now operates alongside popular sovereignty expressed through referendums, and judicial review.
英国宪法正在从纯粹的议会主权模式向更加多元的模式演变，其中法律主权和政治主权由多个行为者共享。议会主权原则仍然是核心，但现在它与通过公投表达的人民主权以及司法审查并行运作。
Some scholars argue that the UK now has a form of ‘constitutional pluralism’ rather than a single legal sovereign. The distinction between legal and political sovereignty helps explain these tensions.
一些学者认为，英国现在拥有一种”宪法多元主义”，而不是单一的法律主权者。法律主权与政治主权的区别有助于解释这些张力。
10. Key Thinker: A.V. Dicey and His Legacy | 关键思想家：A.V.戴西及其遗产
Dicey’s analysis remains the starting point. He distinguished legally unlimited parliamentary sovereignty from the political sovereignty of the people. He also noted that conventions and public opinion act as moral restraints on the legal sovereign. His work helps us see that sovereignty is both a legal concept and a political fact.
戴西的分析依然是起点。他区分了法律上无限的议会主权和人民的政治主权。他还指出，惯例和公众舆论是对法律主权者的道德制约。他的著作帮助我们认识到，主权既是一个法律概念，也是一个政治事实。
Critics argue that Dicey underestimated the practical constraints on Parliament, but his dual-sovereignty framework remains highly relevant in evaluating recent constitutional changes.
批评者认为，戴西低估了议会的实际约束，但他的双重主权框架在评估近期的宪法变化时仍然高度相关。
11. Contemporary Example: Brexit and the Clash of Sovereignties | 当代案例：英国脱欧与主权冲突
The 2016 Brexit vote illustrated the tension between political sovereignty (the people’s decision to leave) and legal sovereignty (Parliament’s role in implementing that decision). The Supreme Court ruling in Miller (2017) confirmed that only Parliament could trigger Article 50, reinforcing legal sovereignty.
2016年脱欧投票说明了政治主权（人民离开的决定）与法律主权（议会实施该决定的角色）之间的紧张关系。最高法院在《米勒案》（2017）中的裁决确认只有议会才能启动第50条，强化了法律主权。
Yet, the political imperative was so strong that Parliament eventually passed the legislation. This case demonstrates that while legal sovereignty remains intact, political sovereignty often directs its exercise, especially when expressed through direct democracy.
然而，政治紧迫性如此强大，以至于议会最终通过了该立法。这个案例表明，虽然法律主权完好无损，但政治主权常常指导其行使，尤其是当通过直接民主表达时。
12. Conclusion: The Enduring Tension | 结论：持久的张力
The distinction between legal sovereignty and political sovereignty is not just an academic device but a living reality in UK politics. Legal sovereignty, the formal power of Parliament, is tempered by political sovereignty, the authority of the people. Understanding how they interact gives us a deeper insight into the nature of the British constitution and its ongoing development.
法律主权与政治主权的区别不仅是学术工具，而且是英国政治中活生生的现实。法律主权，即议会的形式权力，被政治主权，即人民的权威所调节。理解它们如何相互作用，使我们能更深入地洞察英国宪法的性质及其持续发展。
Both remain essential concepts for any A-Level Politics student seeking to master the complexities of UK governance.
对于任何想要掌握英国治理复杂性的A-Level政治学学生来说，这两个概念都是必不可少的。
Published by TutorHao | Politics Revision Series | aleveler.com
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