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How did Joseph II separate the judiciary from the executive branch of government?
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Joseph II
Joseph II, Holy Roman emperor, detail of a painting by Pompeo Girolamo Batoni, 1769; in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
The separation of the judiciary from the executive branch was a significant administrative reform during the reign of Joseph II.
While the separation of these two branches had already been established at the highest levels of government under his predecessor, Maria Theresa, Joseph II extended this process by implementing the separation at lower administrative levels as well.1
This effort to rationalize the government was part of his broader program as an enlightened absolutist, intended to ensure that the state functioned as effectively and sensibly as possible. By formalizing these administrative structures, Joseph II sought to achieve more equal treatment for his subjects.1