Exceptions to Legislative Involvement

Regardless of the degree of involvement afforded the legislature under normal circumstances, many constitutions contain exceptions which allow the executive to act alone in the case of emergency. In some countries the declaration of war may be made without legislative involvement if the legislature is in recess or unable to meet. In many of these cases, the constitution may require retroactive approval, usually within a given timeframe from a matter of days to a matter of months. Failure to obtain the required retroactive approval often results in lapse of the declaration.