81.   The Democrats see their questioning of Ashcroft as protecting the integrity of the constitutional separation of powers.

82.   The group claimed that the officials had violated the constitutional separation of religion and state by using public money to attend a religious ceremony.

83.   The presidential Elysee Palace said in a statement that Chirac could not be questioned in the case because it violated the constitutional separation of powers.

84.   The president refused, saying his appearance would violate the constitutional separation of powers.

85.   France, officially, has a constitutional separation between church and state.

86.   He refused to take the display down in spite of an order from a higher court which claimed it violated the constitutional separation of church and state.

87.   Visits to the central Tokyo shrine by serving government leaders are controversial as critics say they amount to violation of the constitutional separation of religious and state functions.

88.   The law could still be challenged if the Supreme Court finds it violates the constitutional separation between executive and legislative powers.