The Constitution Flashcards
(14 cards)
What does it mean for a constitution to be uncodified?
Comes from multiple sources, not contained in a single written document
What is statute law?
Highest legal authority, laws that come from parliament, take priority
What is common law?
Laws declared by judiciary, made by tradition and historical usage
What does it mean for a constitution to be unentrenched?
Adaptable, doesn’t require separate rules for amendments
What are authoritative works?
Works written by experts, describe how a system is run
What are international laws and treaties?
Formal agreements with other countries, e.g. 2015 Paris agreement
What was the name of the first constitutional agreement and when was it?
1215 magna carta
What type of federal system is the UK?
Quasi federal
What do devolved bodies diverge on?
Covid, tuition fees, prescription fees
When were the parliament acts and what did they do?
1911 and 1949, reduced time HoL can delay legislation, first 2 years then 1
What does separation of powers prevent?
One body having too much power, corruption
What are the strengths of the constitution?
Holds gov accountable, produces strong gov, parliamentary sovereignty prevents powers being split up among many bodies
What are the weaknesses of the UK constitution?
Confusing, out of date, undemocratic, less protection for rights, parliament has too much power
What reform did new labour introduce?
Devolved power, HoL reform including reducing hereditary peers to 92, human rights act 1998, freedom of information act 2000, separated gov and judiciary
