INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY

 

INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY

The term individual responsibility which is majorly used in the presidential system of government and is the direct opposite of collective responsibility means that a minister is individually  accountable for his or her personal actions and acts emanating from any part of the ministry and its public agencies. The minister therefore has both legal and political responsibility for the ministry he or she is heading. A minister appointed cannot be a member of the parliament .

 The minister takes the praise and the blame for what was done by any department of the ministry. The minister must accept responsibility for the actions of the civil servant in the department either good or bad because it is presumed that they are anonymous and that their actions represents that of their ministry and he or she is expected to defend them from public criticism unless something reprehensible has being done which he disapproves of in this case, 

he might dismiss or reprimand them. In a presidential system of government the minister is responsible to the president who appoints him or her and not to the parliament because it is presumed that the minister performs his or her duty on behalf of the president, therefore they owe their individual ministerial  responsibility for the proper performance of their function primarily to the president, but a minister can be invited by the parliament to explain a conduct or matters emanating from the running of his or her ministry. In the case the parliament strongly disapproves of a minister’s conduct or  has no confidence in the minister, the president may, if he deems fit drop such a minister or assign him or her to another ministry. The term individual responsibility requires a minister to resign if the administrative blunders of his ministry are exposed and criticized by the parliament. 

   The doctrine of collective ministerial responsibility exists in a presidential system of government as each minister is expected to stay loyal to the actions taken by the government. If not such a minister is expected to resign from the government.

 

 

 

OVER VIEW OF The British Parliamentary System.                                                                                                                              

                      First and foremost, Parliamentary System is that system of government in which the head of state is different from the head of government. The head of state can be a monarch as in Britain or a ceremonial president as in Nigeria from 1960 to 1966, while the head of government is called the prime minister. British government portrays the authentic structure of a Parliamentary system of government. Thus Britain is a case study in this write up.

              The British government has been headed by two individuals which are the head of state and the head of government in the past and even till today. Today, the head of state is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary popularly known as Elizabeth II, and the head of government called the prime minister is  Boris Johnson.

             These two individuals have separate powers and perform separate functions. One of the functions of the head of state is assent to bills passed by the Parliament while the prime minister supervises the activities of the government.

                   The prime minister is supported by a number of individuals called ministers who assist the prime minister in running the government. Thus, they're collectively responsible for running the government together.

                 In addition, the prime minister and his ministers are also members of the British Parliament. The British Parliament is divided into the house of common and the house of Lord. Members of the British Parliament among others are the prime minister and his ministers, speakers of the house of common and the house of Lord, representatives from all British constituencies and members of opposition parties. The prime minister and his ministers can be removed from office at any time through vote of no confidence passed in the legislature.


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