Le privilège de l'exécutif aux Etats-Unis
Institution:
Paris 2Disciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
The thesis aims to study the "executive privilege" in the united states; the term "executive privilege" can embrace at least two distinct, though related, claims: it might be invoked as an immunity of the president from legal process, or as a president's claim of constitutional authority to withhold information from congress and the judicial branch. The "privilege" is not expressly granted by the constitution. Cetain scholars admit that it can be implied by the necessities of the system, in particular by the separation of powers; others, such as raoul berger, consider this privilege as a myth, "fashioned by a succession of presidents who created precedents to suit the occasion". The "executive privilege" is also one aspect of the larger subject of relations between congress and the president. The "privilege", namely through the united states v. Nixon case, is also an "illustration of the recurrent confrontation that opposes the executive branch to the judiciary; an example of the conflict between the claims often renewed of the american presidents to increase their authority,and the role constantly reasserted of the supreme court to say what the law is. " (whereas the president insisted on the principle that he must "decide, independently of all other authority, what papers coming to him as president, the public interst permits to be communicated, and to whom, the court contended that a court in a criminal case possesses the ultimate authority to decide what is required on balance to be produced in the interest of the administration of criminal justice). The scope of "executive privilege" remains in a state of tension because of three competing demands: the integrity of the judicial process requires evidence; the executive branch needs a measure of confidentiality in its deliberations; and congress depends on information to carry out its responsibilities. If the three branches of government are coequal in status and have a right to preserve their independence and influence, "it would be contrary to the constitution for one branch to subordinate its interests to another". My project aims to answer such questions as : -what is the role of "executive privilege" in american constitutional law? -where does it stem from? what are its foundations? try to look for this theme in the origins of the american system of government, in the genesis of american constitutiona
Abstract FR:
L'objet de la these est d'etudier le theme du privilege de l'executif aux etats-unis, a l'epoque contemporaine, et ce notamment a travers de l'etude de l'affaire nixon-le privilege de l'executif etantt l'un des aspects juridiques de la crise qui s'etait nouee autour de la demission du president nixon en 1974-, mais aussi de facon plus large en essayant notamment de retracer de facon aussi precise que possible les origines de ce theme. La notion de "privilege de l'executif" a servi de fondement a deux revendications distinctes- bien qu'etroitement liees-de la part des presidents americains. Ararguant du "privilege", ces derniers ont pretendu, d'une part, a un droit de refuser au legislatif et au judiciaire l'acces a des informations dont ils entendaient preserver le caractere confidentiel,l, et d'autre part, a une immunite des presidents vis-a-vis des procedures judiciaires habituelles (immunity of the presidents from legal process). Le privilege de l'executif n'est pas expressement attribue par la constitution, nulle part dans le texte fondamental il n'est fait mention d'un tel privilege. Cependant, bien avant deja que n'ait ete rendue la decision untted states v. Nixon qui est vene reconnaitre au privilege de l'executif des soubassements constitutionnels, certains auteurs estimaient que ce privilege etait legitime, justifie par la separation des pouvoirs et les exigences pratiques de gouvernement, alors que d'autres affirmaient qu'il s'agissait d'un mythe constitutionnel, fonde sur des precedents tronques, etablis par des presidents dont ils servaient les interets. Le privilege de l'executif est egalement l'un des aspects d'une question plus large qui est celle des relations entre le president et le congres. En effet, le privilege de l'executif et le pouvoir d'investigation du congres risquent de se heurter de front a chaque fois que l'executif oppose un refus a une demande d'informations formulee par le congres ou l'une de ses commissions dans le cadre de l'exercice par le legislatif de son pouvoir d'enquete. Le privilege de l'executif est egalement, a travers l'arret united states v. Nixon, un exemple de "la confrontation qui surgit periodiquement entre le pouvoir judiciaire et le pouvoir executif, entre les pretentions souvent renouvelees des presidents americains de voir leurs pouvoirs accrus et le role constamment reaffirme que se reconnait la cour su