Chapter 5 - 4/6 - Constitutional reform (NOT FINAL)

Question 1

How many hereditary peers did the House of Lords Act 1999 reduce the number to?

Answer 1

92

Question 2

When was the Backbench Business Committee established?

Answer 2

2010

Question 3

What did the establishment of the Backbench Business Committee do?

Answer 3

It gave MPs’ control over 20 parliamentary days to debate issues of their choosing.

Question 4

When was the Human Rights Act passed?

Answer 4

1998

Question 5

What did the Human rights Act do?

Answer 5

Incorporate the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law.

Question 6

How many freedoms does the ECHR establish?

Answer 6

18

Question 7

Give 3 of the 18 freedoms established by the ECHR.

Answer 7

• Life
• Liberty
• From servitude

Question 8

What did the ECHR require all signatories to do (not part of the 18 freedoms)?

Answer 8

• Abolish the death penalty.

- Hold free and fair elections.

Question 9

How many time was the UK government brought before the European Court of Human Rights since 1966, leading the 1997 Labour government to pass the HRA 1998?

Answer 9

More than 50 times.

Question 10

What did the HRA 1998 give the UK constitution?

Answer 10

Its first codified piece of the constitution.

Question 11

What 3 areas of electoral reform are there?

Answer 11

• The franchise.
• The way we vote.
• The electoral system.

Question 12

When was the first time in British history that 16- and 17-year-olds could vote?

Answer 12

2014 Scottish Independence referendum.

Question 13

In which country is voting compulsory and sees turnouts of over 90%?

Answer 13

Australia

Question 14

What is an electoral system?

Answer 14

The way votes are counted and converted into seats.

Question 15

What electoral system do Scotland and Wales use?

Answer 15

Alternative Member System

Question 16

What electoral system does Northern Ireland use?

Answer 16

Single Transferable Vote

Question 17

When was a referendum held on introducing the Alternative Vote system?

Answer 17

2011 - it was rejected decisively.

Question 18

What does the Freedom of Information Act 2000 do?

Answer 18

Gives people the right to view information held by public bodies that relates to them, as well as the right to see information that is in the public interest.

Question 19

How does the UK version of freedom of information differ from other countries’ versions?

Answer 19

In the UK the onus is on the ‘outsider’ to prove that information should be released, rather than the government having to justify why they want to withhold information as happens in other countries.

Question 20

What event was caused by the introduction of freedom of information in the UK?

Answer 20

The expenses scandal in 2008. Parliament tried to block the information about MPs’ expense being released but failed, and parliament was humiliated and had to reform the expenses system.

Question 21

When was the Constitutional Reform Act passed?

Answer 21

2005

Question 22

What did the Constitutional Reform Act do?

Answer 22

• Separated the judiciary and government.
• Created the Supreme Court.
• Created the Judicial Appointments Commission to assess all appointments to the senior judiciary.

Question 23

What happened to the role of Lord Chancellor under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005?

Answer 23

Largely removed, being merged with that of Justice Secretary meaning the holder would be in charge of justice policy but not justice practice.

Question 24

Before the Supreme Court was created, what was the highest court of appeal?

Answer 24

The House of Lords and the ‘Law Lords’ inside.

Question 25

What was the issue with the position of Lord Chancellor?

Answer 25

Whoever held the position was part of all three branches of government as they sat in Parliament, in the Cabinet, and also were head of the entire judiciary.

Question 26

When did the Supreme Court officially open?

Answer 26

2009

Question 27

What did the creation of the Supreme Court involve?

Answer 27

The ‘Law Lords’ were removed from the House of Lords and the new Supreme Court was entirely separate. They do have the same powers as the previous ‘Law Lords’ did.

Question 28

Before the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, who was in charge of appointing senior judges?

Answer 28

The Lord Chancellor and the prime minister, making them highly political appointments.

Question 29

What is the JAC?

Answer 29

The Judicial Appointments Commission, created in 2005 by the Constitutional Reform Act; it must assess all prospective judges before the prime minister decides who to appoint.

Question 30

What does the Judicial Appointments Commission do?

Answer 30

It assesses all prospective judges. The government still has the final say but they can only choose from JAC approved candidates. Appointments to the Supreme Court are therefore non-political.

Question 31

What are the 3 principles of judicial reform?

Answer 31

• To increase the separation of powers.
• Improve the independence of the judiciary.
• Bring Britain into line with modern constitutional practice.

Question 32

When was the Fixed Term Parliaments Act passed?

Answer 32

2011

Question 33

Why was the Fixed Term Parliaments Act passed?

Answer 33

To improve the stability of the coalition government, removing the constitutional convention that the prime minister chose the date of the next election. It meant that there could be disagreement within government without it falling apart.

Question 34

What are the 2 ways in which the Fixed Term Parliaments Act can be circumvented?

Answer 34

• A vote of no confidence in the government.

- 2/3 vote in the Commons for an early election.

Question 35

How did Theresa May get a snap election in April 2017 in light of the limitations placed on her by the FTPA?

Answer 35

She introduced a motion to parliament to hold a snap election it was passed by the required 2/3 majority.

Question 36

What did George Osbourne do in October 2015 to increase the autonomy of cities?

Answer 36

He allowed local authorities to keep all the revenue from business rates so that they could finance their own projects and policies.

Question 37

How did George Osbourne increase the autonomy of local government in Manchester and when?

Answer 37

March 2016 - gave the mayor of Manchester control of its budgets for health and social care.

Question 38

When was the Greater London Authority Act passed and what did it do?

Answer 38

1999; introduced elected mayors to Greater London.

Question 39

When was the first Greater London Mayor elected as part of the Greater London Authority Act 1999?

Answer 39

2000

Question 40

When was the Recall of MPs Act passed?

Answer 40

2015

Question 41

What does the Recall of MPs Act allow constituents to do?

Answer 41

Recall their MP if they have been involved in some misbehaviour. A petition must be signed by 10% of the MP’s constituents in order for them to be recalled.