Which is supreme: the Constitution, the monarchy or some other power?

A Ruler's power to appoint a Chief Minister is all the rage. A blogger once wrote that the monarch could appoint his gardener as prime minister. Was he right? This minor question begets larger ones. For a start, (1) Is there a legal principle higher than the Constitution? (2) How should the Constitution be interpreted?

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Who said the Prime Minister is not a public officer?

Who said the Prime Minister is not a public officer? Two separate panels of the Court of Appeal did. One panel heard Mahathir’s appeal.  It delivered its decision in April of this year. The second panel of the Court of Appeal heard Tony Pua’s appeal and delivered its decision last week. Both Mahathir and Tony Pua had sued the then Prime Minister Najib for the tort of public misfeasance. Both lost. When they ...

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Can Senators be fired?

Can Senators be fired? The answer is Yes, and, No. The ‘No’ comes from those who say that the security of tenure of a Senator is unimpeachable. They point to Article 45 (3) of the Federal Constitution, which states that: - ‘… the term of office of a member of the Senate shall be three years and shall not be affected by a dissolution of Parliament.’ A Senator may be appointed twice, making ...

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