UK Constitution

Question 1

What is a constitution?

Answer 1

A set of laws and guidelines that define how a political system operates, the distribution of power, and citizens’ rights in relation to the government.

Question 2

What are the “twin pillars” of the UK constitution according to Dicey?

Answer 2

Parliamentary Sovereignty and the Rule of Law.

Question 3

What is Parliamentary Sovereignty?

Answer 3

The principle that Parliament has supreme legal authority and can make or repeal any law. Its decisions cannot be overturned by any higher authority.

Question 4

What is the Rule of Law?

Answer 4

The principle that the actions of the state are limited by law and all individuals, including government officials, are subject to the law.

Question 5

What was the significance of the Magna Carta (1215)?

Answer 5

It limited the power of the monarch and established the principle that everyone, including the king, is subject to the law.

Question 6

What did the Bill of Rights (1689) establish?

Answer 6

It made the monarch’s power dependent on Parliament’s consent and guaranteed rights such as free elections, frequent parliaments, and freedom of speech in Parliament.

Question 7

What was the Act of Settlement (1701)?

Answer 7

It ensured that only Protestants could ascend to the British throne.

Question 8

What did the Representation of the People Act (1918) achieve?

Answer 8

It extended the vote to all men over 21 and women over 30 who met minimum property qualifications.

Question 9

What did the European Communities Act (1972) do?

Answer 9

It took the UK into the European Economic Community, giving EU law precedence over UK law in certain areas.

Question 10

What was the purpose of the EU Withdrawal Agreement (2020)?

Answer 10

To formalise the UK’s exit from the European Union and set terms for future UK-EU relations.

Question 11

Is the UK constitution codified?

Answer 11

No, it is uncodified. It is not contained in a single document but derived from multiple sources.

Question 12

Is the UK constitution entrenched?

Answer 12

No, it is unentrenched, meaning it can be changed easily, often by a simple majority in Parliament.

Question 13

Is the UK a unitary state?

Answer 13

Yes, legal sovereignty resides with the UK Parliament, although power has been devolved.

Question 14

What is Statute Law?

Answer 14

Law passed by Parliament. It is the most important source of the constitution because of parliamentary sovereignty.

Question 15

What is Common Law?

Answer 15

Law developed by judges through court decisions, forming legal precedents.

Question 16

What are Conventions?

Answer 16

Established traditions and practices that are followed but are not legally enforceable.

Question 17

What are Authoritative Works?

Answer 17

Scholarly texts that explain the workings of the UK constitution, e.g. Bagehot’s The English Constitution.

Question 18

What role do Treaties play?

Answer 18

Treaties, especially those related to the EU, form part of constitutional law when ratified by Parliament.

Question 19

Why was there demand for reform in 1997?

Answer 19

Public desire for modernisation, increased rights protection, sleaze scandals, and pressure for devolution, especially from Scotland.

Question 20

What did the House of Lords Act 1999 do?

Answer 20

Removed most hereditary peers from the House of Lords, leaving only 92.

Question 21

What is devolution?

Answer 21

The transfer of certain powers from central government to regional governments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Question 22

What did the Human Rights Act 1998 do?

Answer 22

Incorporated the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law, making it enforceable in domestic courts.

Question 23

What did the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 establish?

Answer 23

It created the UK Supreme Court, separating the judiciary from Parliament.

Question 24

What did the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011 do?

Answer 24

Set general elections at five-year intervals, removing the PM’s power to call elections at will.

Question 25

What was English Votes for English Laws (EVEL)?

Answer 25

A system allowing only English MPs to vote on laws affecting only England, addressing the ‘West Lothian question’.

Question 26

What did the Recall of MPs Act 2015 allow?

Answer 26

Allowed constituents to trigger a by-election if their MP was suspended or convicted and 10% signed a recall petition.

Question 27

What powers are reserved by Westminster?

Answer 27

Defence, foreign policy, constitutional matters, welfare, economic policy, and immigration.

Question 28

What powers are devolved to Scotland?

Answer 28

Education, health, justice, transport, local government, housing, some taxation powers, and more.

Question 29

How does Welsh devolution differ?

Answer 29

Initially had weaker powers than Scotland, e.g., limited law-making, no powers over policing or taxation, but gained more after the 2011 referendum and Wales Act 2014.

Question 30

Why is Northern Ireland’s devolution unique?

Answer 30

It is based on power-sharing between unionists and nationalists following the Good Friday Agreement due to historical conflict ('The Troubles').

Question 31

What are arguments for electoral reform?

Answer 31

FPTP under-represents smaller parties; PR systems produce fairer results and reflect voter preferences more accurately.

Question 32

Why reform the House of Lords?

Answer 32

Although it contains experienced members, it is unelected and lacks democratic legitimacy.

Question 33

What are arguments for strengthening the Human Rights Act?

Answer 33

It is not entrenched, so rights can be overridden by a simple majority; strengthening it would better protect civil liberties.

Question 34

What do Conservatives propose in place of the Human Rights Act?

Answer 34

A British Bill of Rights, which would give the UK Supreme Court final authority over citizens’ rights.