British Constitution: Milestones In The History And Development Of The British Constitution Flashcards
What are the main laws and documents that have contributed to the development and evolution of the British Constitution?
Magna Carta 1215, Bill Of Rights 1689, Act Of Settlement 1701, Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 and European Communities Act 1972
What is the Magna Carta 1215?
A royal Carter of rights agreed between King John and his barons in response to the political crisis the king was facing, namely the baron rebellion
What are some of the most important of the 63 clauses in the Magna Carta 1215?
The right of all ‘free men’ to justice and fair trial and ‘To no one will we sell, no one will we deny or delay right or justice’
What is the Magna Carta the first formal attempt at in the British Constitution?
Try and limit the powers of the monarch and place them under the rule of law
How many clauses from the Magna Carta 1215 remain unrepealed today?
4
What later documents has the Magna Carta 1215 later influenced?
Such as American Declaration Of Independence, Universal Declaration Of Human Rights and European Convention On Human Rights
How did the Bill Of Rights 1689 start?
The flight of King James II who was accused of trying to return Roman Catholicism to the country and undermining parliament leading to the invitation of William and Mary from the Netherlands to assume the crown, parliament wanted a deal to increase their power
What are the key terms agreed upon in the Bill Of Rights 1689?
Frequent parliament, free elections and freedom of speech within parliament (parliamentary privilege) and no taxation without the agreement of parliament
What else did the Bill Of Rights 1689 also establish?
The dominance of parliament over the monarch
What was the main aim of the Act Of Settlement 1701?
Secure Protestant succession to the throne
What is the Act Of Settlement 1701 an example of?
Parliament calling the shots over the monarchy
What did both Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 do?
Severely reduce the power of lords
Why was the Parliament Act 1911 brought in?
Because the Conservative/Unionist-dominated Lords broke with parliamentary convention and rejected the Liberal government’s ‘People’s Budget’
What else did the Parliament Act 1911 do other than Lords restricted to only being able to delay a bill for 2 years?
They were prevented from delaying ‘money bills’ or budgets
What did the Parliament Act 1949 do?
Prevented Lords from delaying to 1 year
