英國憲政思想的歷史演變

The Evolution of the English Constitutional Thoughts

英格蘭為近代憲政之母國，其憲政框架緊緊圍繞國王、貴族和平民這三大政治力量而展開，並大致經歷了由君主獨治向君民共治的演變歷程。而在憲政思想方面，也經歷了頗為複雜的演變。比如，早期盛行君權至上，後來則出現了有限君權的思想；“光榮革命”之後，隨著君主立憲體制的確立，議會主權的觀念成為主流，這被戴雪予以了經典的表述。20世紀之後，行政權擴張，作為司法審查基礎的越權無效原則背後體現的就是議會至上的觀念。但隨著歐盟一體化的推進和人權法的實施，原有的議會至上原則已無法滿足現實的要求，訴諸法治原則的普通法憲政主義遂成為最新的憲政思潮。

England is regarded as the mother of modern constitution, of which the main character is to divide the sovereignty among the monarch, the nobles and the commons. As to the English constitutional thoughts, it evolves in a very complicated way. In the early period, the monarch was regarded as the supreme； then it began to be limited. After the Glorious Revolution in 1688, sovereignty in parliament became popular in constitutional level which was elaborated in detail by Dicey. This is clearly signaled by the principle of vultra vires which is the basis of judicial review of the government’s actions. But as the European Convention of Human Rights becomes law in England, the sovereignty of parliament is greatly challenged. Under this context, the common law constitutionalism arises.