Which of the following falls under the authority of the executive branch of the Government?

The Executive Branch of government is responsible for delivering programs and services to the population within the framework of laws, expenditures, and tax measures approved by Legislature. At the apex of the Executive Branch is the Executive Council (or Cabinet), composed of Ministers appointed from elected Members of the Legislative Assembly of the political party in power. Each Minister (or Member of the Executive Council) is responsible for one or more departments and agencies. Each department has a Deputy Minister. Ministers provide political and policy leadership, whereas Deputies provide policy advice and administrative leadership.

The Executive Branch directs and oversees day-to-day operations of government. In New Brunswick, the provincial government is composed of four parts: Government Departments and Agencies (Part I), the School System (Part II), the Hospital System (Part III), and Crown Corporations (Part IV).

The main functions of the Legislature are law-making, surveillance and representation.

Each of the 49 Members of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick is individually elected to represent the voters in one constituency.

Members must fulfill many roles, including:

• they are law-makers;
• they hold the Executive Branch accountable by examining the actions of government; and
  
• they represent their constituents.

The Legislative Assembly is responsible for approving all provincial statutes, expenditures and taxation measures.

Within the Legislative Branch there are independent statutory officers who report directly to the Legislative Assembly for the manner in which they carry out their statutory duties. These officers include:

• Auditor General
• Chief Electoral Officer
• Child and Youth Advocate
• Consumer Advocate for Insurance
• Commissioner of Official Languages
• Integrity Commissioner
• Seniors' Advocate
• Ombud

The Judicial Branch is composed of both federal and provincial courts.

Federal courts include the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Canada (Trial Division and Appellate Division), and the Tax Court.

Provincial courts include the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick, the Court of Queen’s Bench of New Brunswick (Trial Division and Family Division), the Court of Divorce, the Probate Court, the Small Claims Court, and the Provincial Court.

Justices of the Court of Queen’s Bench and the Court of Appeal are appointed by the Governor General in Council. Salaries for federally-appointed judges are paid by the federal government.

With respect to the Provincial Court (also designated as the Youth Court under the Young Offenders Act and the Provincial Offences Procedure for Young Persons Act ), judges are appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council. Adjudicators (senior lawyers) appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council preside over matters in the Small Claims Court.

The Province, by virtue of section 92(14) of the Constitution Act, is responsible for the constitution, maintenance and organization of provincial courts. All costs related to court operations (excluding the salaries and expenses related to federally-appointed judges) in the Province of New Brunswick are borne by the Province.

• New Brunswick Courts

As part of an integration exercise, the Singapore Courts will progressively change their email addresses to end with @judiciary.gov.sg from 1 September 2022. Click here to find out more.

The Singapore Courts Annual Report 2021 is out! Click here to read more.

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About the legal system

The Singapore courts are part of the Judiciary, which is one of the 3 branches of the state:

• The Judiciary enforces and interprets the laws. It comprises the court system and all officers working for the courts. The Judiciary is impartial and decides cases according to the law. It is responsible for ensuring that all are equal before the law and have access to justice. The Judiciary is led by the Chief Justice.
• The Executive formulates policy and administers the running of the state. It comprises the Cabinet and the various public service agencies under their charge. The Executive is sometimes also known as the government. It is led by the Prime Minister, who is advised on legal matters by the Attorney-General.
• The Legislature makes the laws. It is the highest law-making authority in the country. The Legislature comprises Parliament and all the members that sit within it. The Legislature is led by the Speaker of Parliament.

This three-branch structure is known as separation of powers. It is designed to ensure that there are checks and balances to prevent abuse of power. This arrangement is set by the Constitution, which is the most fundamental law in Singapore.

The President is the head of state and not a member of any of the 3 branches. The President's authority is required by the Legislature at the final stage of passing legislation.

The Attorney-General's Chambers assist both the Executive (as the government's legal advisor) and the Legislature (as parliamentary drafters). The Attorney-General is also concurrently the public prosecutor and is responsible for bringing all public prosecutions in Singapore, independently and without influence from any of the 3 branches of the state.

About the sources of law in Singapore

The Constitution is one of the sources of law in Singapore. It is the supreme law, which means that all other laws passed must not conflict with it.

Other sources of law include:

• Legislation (also known as statutes): These consist of Acts of Parliament and subsidiary legislation passed by the government. These laws are published on Singapore Statutes Online.
• Common law (also known as judge-made law): Law developed from cases decided by judges. Judges do not make the law at their own discretion. Judge-made law is usually an expansion or elaboration of existing legal principles, which occurs when required by a particular case. Judge-made law cannot conflict with either the Constitution or laws passed by the Parliament.

All Singapore citizens are equal in the eyes of the law. This supports the rule of law, which is a legal principle that requires everyone, including the government, to obey the law. Judges must apply the law impartially, as it is and not as they think it should be. When a judge makes a decision, the judge is not saying what is right or wrong, but only what the position is according to the law.

Note

The courts must be impartial and cannot provide legal advice. Parties should seek legal advice on their options instead.

Find out more

• About the Singapore courts

  Understand the role and structure of the Singapore courts, which include the Supreme Court, State Courts and Family Justice Courts.

Which of the following is the role of the executive branch of government?

Who makes up the executive branch?

What are the three parts of the executive branch?

Which of the following is the executive head of government?