The constitutional principle that the three branches of government — the legislature (parliament, which makes laws), the executive (the government and public service, which administers and implements laws), and the judiciary (the courts, which interpret and apply laws) — should operate independently of one another. The separation of powers is designed to prevent any single branch from accumulating too much authority and to provide a system of checks and balances. In Australia, the separation is most clearly expressed in the federal Constitution, particularly with respect to the judiciary, though the legislature and executive are more closely intertwined through the Westminster convention of responsible government.