2.) Milestones in the History and Development of the British Constitution Flashcards
When was the Magna Carta written?
1215
How many clauses was there in the Magna Carta?
63
Why is the Magna Carta important?
It guaranteed the right to a fair trial
Name three documents the Magna Carta has influenced?
-The American Declaration of Independence
-The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
-European Convention on Human Rights
Why is the Magna Carta criticised?
-Silent about the rights of ordinary people
-Out of 63 clauses, only 4 aren’t repealed today
-Many of its items refer to the period of its writing and are unsuitable for the modern day
When was the UK Bill of Rights written?
1689
What event did the Bill of Rights follow from?
The Glorious Revolution of 1688
What did the Bill of Rights mandate?
-Frequent Parliaments
-Free elections
-Freedom of speech within Parliament
-No taxation without Parliamentary agreement
What is the right to say anything in Parliament without legal issues known as?
Parliamentary privilege
Why is the Bill of Rights significant?
-It turned Parliament into a permanent structure, which has met every year since 1689
-Established monarchy as second-fiddle to Parliament
Why is the Bill of Rights (1689) criticised?
-It doesn’t cover the rights of ordinary people
-It only established rights for those working within Parliament, mainly wealthy land owners
When was the Act of Settlement written?
1701
What was the Act of Settlement?
-Ensured line of succession for monarchy was Protestant only
Why was the Act of Settlement important?
Because Parliament was instructing the monarchy what was acceptable for the first time, not the other way around
Why is Act of Settlement (1701) criticised?
-Act did nothing to help bring democracy to the UK
-Restricting monarch to a specific faith is anti-equality and unfair
When was the first Parliament Act passed?
1911
What did the first Parliament Act (1911) do?
-Restrict the House of Lords to only holding up bills they don’t pass for two years
-Also prevented from blocking budgets passed by Commons
When was the second Parliament Act passed?
1949
What did the Parliament Act (1949) do?
-Reduce time that House of Lords could delay bill to, to one year
Why are the Parliament Acts good?
They prevent the unelected House of Lords from blocking the elected House of Commons for as long as they wish, unlike before the laws
Why are the Parliament Acts criticised?
-Do nothing to address the fact the UK has a completely unelected chamber of the legislature
-Still has hereditary peers: who have done nothing but be born into the position
What Act removed most hereditary peerages from the House of Lords?
House of Lords Act (1999)
When was the European Communities Act passed?
1972
What did the European Communities Act allow for?
The UK to join the European Economic Community
How many clauses are there in the European Communities Act?
12
Why is the European Communities Act (1972) important?
Prior to Brexit all legislation passed by Parliament needed to comply with European law
What did the European Communities Act interfere with?
Parliamentary sovereignty
What laws bolstered the European Communities Act?
Single European Act (1987)
Lisbon Treaty (2007)
Why was the European Communities Act criticised?
-For taking away Parliamentary sovereignty and letting a parliament headquartered elsewhere have chief authority over British citizens
Did the European Communities Act significantly change the UK?
NO - many of the laws passed under it were repealed when the UK withdrew from the EU, and didn’t affect significant areas of British domestic politics
