Cabinet - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition cabinet

Definition :

Cabinet, is an inner body within the Council of Ministers which is responsible for formulating the policy of the Government. The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha. It is headed by the Prime Minister who determines which of the Ministers should be members of the cabinet. Only cabinet ministers have a right to attend its meetings. Minister of State attend its meetings only on a special invitation. The total number of ministers, including the Prime Minister, in the council of ministers should not exceed fifteen per cent of the total number of members of the House of the People, Practice and Procedure of Parliament, M.N. Kaul & S.L. Shakdher, 5th Edn., p. 133 [Arts. 75 and 75A, Constitution of India]

In many commonwealth countries, cabinet is modelled on British pattern. In Canada, composition of cabinet is influenced by regional considerations. Australia follows the British practice of including only selected ministers in the cabinet, Practice and Procedure of Parliament , M.N. Kaul and S.L. Shakdher, 5th Edn., 2001.

Determines policy to be submitted to Parliament and exercises overall control over administration. Proceedings of cabinet are secret. It delegates considerable amount of its work to its committees since it is heavily burdened, with executive responsibility, Office of the Speaker in the Parliaments of Commonwealth, Wilding and Philip Laundy, p. 70.

The executive and legislative powers are vested in cabinet which is individually and collectively responsible to Parliament. Cabinet functions as long as it enjoys confidence of Parliament, Dictionary of Political Science, Joseph Dunner, p. 73.

In UK cabinet consists of the Prime Minister and such of his colleagues as he may select from among leading Legislators, Office of the Speaker in the Parliaments of Commonwealth, Wilding and Philip Laundy, p. 67.

Relates to the Privy councillors who actually transact the immediate business of the Government and assemble from time to time as the public exigencies require, Law Dictionary, Mozely and Whiteley, p. 42.

The leader of opposition is a shadow Prime Minister and he has to be prepared to take up the responsibility of forming a government if the government resigns or is defeated. His task though not so difficult as that of the Prime Minister is of sufficiently great public importance because he has to maintain a team-shadow cabinet ready to take over administration; Practice and Procedure of Parliament, M.N. Kaul and S.L. Shakdher, 5th Edn., 2001, p. 142.

Each member of the shadow cabinet is assigned a particular share of activity in which he critically examines the Government policy and administration for directing criticism of Government, policy and outlines alternative polices. Members of shadow cabinet get precedence in asking questions and in debate, Parliamentary Practice, Erskine May, 22nd Edn., 1997, p. 211.

The institution of shadow cabinet came into being as early as 1876 in British Parliament, formed by the leader of the opposition consisting of his principal colleagues in both Houses for the purpose of assuming office in the event of resignation of the Government Office of the Speaker in the Parliaments of Commonwealth, Wilding and Philip Laundy, p. 691.