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III. CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION.
however, the King is free to disregard if he think fit. If, again, the Committee
discover that any of the King’s advisers has acted at variance with the
fundamental laws of the realm or with the public law, or has abetted any
infringement of the same, or omitted to make remonstrances against such infringement,,
or has countersigned, in his capacity as head of his department, any resolution
at variance with the Constitution Act — the Committee must bring him
before-a Court of Impeachment (Riksrätt). The composition of this court is fixed in
advance and is of a very peculiar character, inasmuch as it. is composed of a.
number of higher judges and public officials. — Of all these antiquated
regulations, howewer, the only one that really survives is the examination of the minutes
of the Cabinet proceedings, whereby an effective control is undoubtedly exercised
over the conduct of government business. In cases where serious strictures
are-made — a thing, however, that has very rarely occurred in recent times —
they may lead to the voluntary resignation of the minister. The other measures,
above set forth have not been put in practice for several decades.
The members of the High Court of Justice and of the Supreme
Administrative Court are also in a peculiar manner made responsible to the Riksdag.
The-Riksdag has the right to appoint every three years a special Committee of
Opinion (Opinionsnämnden), which may decide whether or not the members of
these High Courts have shown themselves worthy to retain their offices. The
committee does not institute any investigation, is not, indeed, at liberty to
enter-upon any discussion; its sole function is to express its opinion by a vote. Any
member of the High Court of Justice or Supreme Administrative Court who is.
removed by this process, is entitled to a pension amounting to half bis
salary-No removal by this process, however, has yet taken place. — The Riksdag has.
yet another form of control over the High Court of Justice and the Supreme:
Administrative Court in that the "Justitieombudsman" may in certain
cases-arraign a member of the Court before the Court of Impeachment (see above),
The Swedish constitution is the only one in Europe, with the exception
of that of England, which has been evolved by a process of independent
growth on a national basis. This is sufficient to explain its many peculiar
features, of which the most conspicuous have been indicated in the
preceding survey. On the whole, the constitution of Sweden gives a faithful
expression of the conception of law that prevail in the minds of
its-people, and affords a good testimony of its political maturity.
Composition and Procedure of the Riksdag.
In accordance with the new Organic Law of 1866, the Riksdag of
Sweden consists of two chambers, which in all questions have equal
competence and authority. Since, however, financial questions are decided by a.
joint revoting of both chambers in case they have separately come
to-different decisions, the Second Chamber, owing to the fact that its
numbers exceed that of the other chamber by more than half, has a
somewhat-greater influence than the First Chamber in this respect. This
corresponds to a state of things not uncommon in other countries, namely
that the Second Chamber possesses special privileges in regard to budget
questions. The manner in which each chamber is constituted may be
briefly summarized as follows.
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