Tricameralism is the practice of having three legislative or parliamentary chambers. It is contrasted with unicameralism and bicameralism, which are both far more common. Currently, no national government is organized along tricameral institutions.
The word could describe the Ancien Régime era French Estates-General, though similar semantic arguments are applied since it sometimes met in joint session. The South African Parliament established under the apartheid regime's 1983 constitution was tricameral, as was the Chinese 1947 Constitution and Simón Bolívar's model state. A common feature in these bodies, which also casts some doubt on the appropriateness of the name, is that in several cases one of the three legislatures is not principally concerned with legislating.
There are different varieties of tricameralism. A disputed type of tricameralism is one where there are two legislative bodies, elected or appointed separately, and a third consisting of all members of the two, meeting together. In cases where this is considered tricameralism, such as the Manx Tynwald, the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly, and the Icelandic Althing (from 1874 to 1991), there is generally an explicit, routine role for the unified house, which distinguishes it from bicameral systems where a joint sitting of the two bodies is used to resolve deadlocks or for special sessions, which is true in several parliaments including Australia, Switzerland and India. Arguments over whether tricameralism should be construed to include this arrangement or not are primarily semantic.
Political
Africa
South Africa
In 1983, South Africa's apartheid government put forward a constitution providing for a tricameral legislature. On 2 November, around seventy percent of the country's White minority voted in favour of the changesBlack, Coloured and Indian South Africans were not consulted.
The South African tricameral parliament consisted of three race-based chambers: House of Assembly178 members, reserved for White people House of Representatives85 members, reserved for Coloured, or mixed-race, people House of Delegates45 members, reserved for Indian people
Black South Africans, who made up a majority of the population, were considered citizens of the bantustans and received no representation.
The creation of the tricameral parliament was controversial on two fronts. On the one hand, many White conservatives disliked the idea of non-Whites participating in Parliament at all. The dispute was a factor in the creation of the Conservative Party, a breakaway from the dominant National Party. On the other hand, many Coloured and Indian people rejected the system as a sham, saying that the chambers reserved for them were powerless.
The tricameral parliament was not particularly strong. The 1983 constitution significantly weakened the powers of parliament and abolished the position of Prime Minister. Most authorities were transferred to the State President, including the power to appoint the Cabinet. This was seen by many as an attempt to limit the power of Coloureds and Indiansnot only were the non-White houses less powerful than the White one, but parliament itself was subordinate to a State President who was White.
Asia
Indonesia
Following amendments to the Constitution of Indonesia in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which became effective in 2004, the parliament of Indonesia has three institutions (of which one consists of the members of the other two), similar to Icelandic and Manx tricameralism: (DPR-RI; literally People's Representative Council; officially House of Representatives), the lower house, which exercises most legislative power; (DPD-RI; Regional Representative Council), the upper house, a consultative body responsible for laws concerning regional government, but without its own direct lawmaking powers; (MPR-RI; People's Consultative Assembly). Its members are those of the DPR and DPD. Its only responsibilities are to amend the Constitution, to swear in the President and Vice President, to impeach the President and Vice President, and to fill Presidential and Vice Presidential vacancies between elections.
Like the Icelandic Unified Parliament, the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly has its own speaker and deputy speakers distinct from those of the DPR and DPD.
Republic of China
The 1947 Constitution of the Republic of China has three chambers of parliament that are elected. Governmental organs of the constitution follow the outline proposed by Sun Yat-sen and supported by the Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party), while incorporating opinions of the federalism supporting Communist Party in the 1940s. The separation of powers was designed by Carsun Chang, a founding member of the China Democratic League.
National Assembly () – Directly elected by a county. It represented the entire nation and exercised the political rights thereof. It elected the President and has the power to amend the constitution, but its legislative functions were considered “reserve powers” to be exercised only on an ad hoc basis. Legislative Yuan () – Directly elected by a province. It is the principal and standing legislative body. It approves the Premier and supervises the Executive Yuan (the Cabinet). Control Yuan () – Indirectly elected by provincial legislatures. It is the government performance auditing body and approves grand justices of the Judicial Yuan (the Constitutional court) and commissioners of the Examination Yuan (the Civil service commission).
As the mechanism is significantly different from the Western trias politica, the grand justices has an interpretation which ruled that these three organs all bear characteristics equivalent to a "parliament".
However, the government of the Republic of China lost the Chinese Civil War in 1949 and retreated to Taiwan. A set of temporary provisions were passed by the National Assembly to gather more powers to the President and limit the functions of the tricameral parliament. Members of the tricameral parliament elected in mainland China in 1947 and 1948 continued serving in Taiwan without re-election until 1991.
After a series of constitutional amendments in the 1990s in Taiwan, a new set of temporary and separate Additional Articles of the Constitution changed the Legislative Yuan to a unicameral parliament, although the tricameral parliament still nominally exists. The Control Yuan was separated as a branch of government when the National Assembly was entirely shut down in June 2005.
Myanmar Myanmar under 2008 constitution introduces a tricameral system involving three Hluttaws:The Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (2008) and its official English translation; Bilingual; source: Constitutional Tribunal of the Union The Pyithu Hluttaw (, ) formed with the representatives elected on the basis of township as well as population and representatives being the Defence Services (military) personnel nominated by the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services. The Amyotha Hluttaw (, ): formed with the representatives elected in equal numbers from Regions and States and the representatives being the Defence Services (military) personnel nominated by the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services. The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (, ): formed with all the representatives of the Pyithu Hluttaw and the Amyotha Hluttaw combines. The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw is more than just the Pyithu Hluttaw and Amyotha Hluttaw sitting jointly but is reported to be a separate, independent and dominant legislative entity unlike the typical bicameral legislatures.
According to the constitution, A Bill initiated in the Pyithu Hluttaw or the Amyotha Hluttaw and approved by both Hluttaws is deemed to be approved by the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw. But if there is any disagreement between these two Hluttaws, the bill has to be discussed and resolved in the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw. The resolution or amendment of any rule, regulation or by-law is also done in this way. The speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw and that of the Amyotha Hluttaw alternatively serve as the speaker of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the former for the 30 months and the latter for the remaining days.
The president sends back comments on draft bills to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw rather than the Hluttaw house which initiated them.
Europe
Westminster systems Isle of Man The Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man, is sometimes considered tricameral, although that description is not universally accepted. It has two branches, the House of Keys and the Legislative Council as well as a third body, the Tynwald Court, made up of the members from both branches, much like in the Icelandic and Indonesian systems.
Also like in the Icelandic and Indonesian systems, the classification of the Tynwald Court as a third chamber in its own right is controversial. Because the Court has no members who are not also members of the House of Keys or of the Legislative Council, the Court's status as an independent body rather than a combined body can be dubious. However, the island's government does claim that the Tynwald is in fact tri-cameral. The building itself which houses the Tynwald is literally "tri-cameral," containing three separate chambers for its sessions.
Church of England The General Synod of the Church of England is sometimes described as tricameral. It is divided into the House of Bishops, the House of Clergy and the House of Laity.
As the Church of England is the state church of England, the Parliament of the United Kingdom has given the General Synod power (subject to veto) to make laws concerning the Church.
Medieval Ireland In the fifteenth century, secular clergy of each diocese sent two proctors to the Parliament of Ireland, who met separately from the House of Commons and the House of Lords. In 1537, their right to membership was revoked after they opposed the Reformation in Ireland.;
European Union The European Union is sometimes considered tricameral, comprising the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and the European Commission. The European Parliament and Council of the European Union are the EU's two legislative bodies and amend and approve, or veto, the proposals of the European Commission, which holds the right of initiative.
France
Three estates Some historians view the French States-General as an example of a tricameral legislature. The three estates gradually evolved as an advisory group for the King (including giving advice on legislation). The three estates were simply labeled First (clergy), Second (nobility), and Third (commoners).
There are two distinct problems with regarding the States-General as a tricameral legislature. The States-General never had formal lawmaking powers, although it sometimes had a major role in the King's legislative activity. In addition, the tripartite arrangement was inconsistently applied, in that they would deliberate separately or jointly at various times.
Consulate The French Consulate (and later First French Empire, when the lower two chambers had no power) had a tricameral legislature, consisting of: the (Conservative Senate), the highest chamber, whose duty was to guard the Constitution, and upon the Consul's proposal, enact special laws known as ; the (Legislative Body), successor to the Directoire's Conseil des Anciens (upper house), which was to vote on laws without discussing them (after 1804, with only a strictly curtailed discussion); and the (Tribunate), successor of the Directoire's Conseil des Cinq Cents (lower house), which was to discuss laws and only vote on whether to “recommend” them to the .