The document discusses the historical background and development of the separation of powers doctrine. It traces the origins of separating government powers to Aristotle in the 4th century BC, who identified the general assembly, public officials, and judiciary as the three agencies of government. The doctrine was later more fully developed by the French jurist Baron de Montesquieu in the 18th century. Montesquieu argued that no single person or group should control all branches of government, and that each branch - the executive, legislative, and judicial - should be independent and unable to interfere with the functions of the other branches, in order to protect liberty and justice.