Chapter 5 - 2/6 - The Constitution Flashcards
When was the Magna Carta?
1215
What did the Magna Carta establish?
The rule of law and that the monarch should operate within the framework of the law.
When was the Bill of Rights?
1869
What did the Bill of Rights do?
It stated that Parliament was sovereign and would have the final say on legislation and finance.
When was the Act of Settlement?
1701
What did the Act of Settlement do?
Established the rules of succession to the throne and the monarch as ruler of the United Kingdom.
When was the Acts of Union?
1707
What did the Acts of Union do?
Abolished the Scottish Parliament and established the modern United Kingdom.
When was the first Parliament Act?
1911
What did the first Parliament Act do?
- Stripped the Lords of their power over public finance.
- Permitted the Lords to delay legislation for just 2 years.
When was the second Parliament Act?
1949
What did the second Parliament Act do?
Limited the Lords’ ability to delay legislation to just 1 year.
What is the significance of the two Parliaments Acts?
They established the House of Commons as the senior House.
When was the European Communities Act?
1972; although the UK did not officially join until 1973.
What did the European Communities Act do?
It brought the UK into the European Community, later the EU.
When was the European Act?
2017
What did the European Act do?
Give parliamentary consent to the UK’s exit from the EU.
What are the 3 required features of a codified constitution?
- Contained in a single document.
- Created at one moment in history.
- Constitutional laws within it are clearly distinguished from other laws.
Why is it not possible to entrench constitutional principles in the UK?
Because parliament is sovereign.
What can a parliament not have done to it by its predecessor, and what can it not do to its successor?
Every parliament cannot be bound by its predecessor and it cannot bind its successor - this is parliamentary sovereignty.
What is becoming common practice whenever constitutional amendment is proposed, effectively entrenching constitutional developments?
A referendum. The results of referendums, although not necessarily legally binding, are considered to be so regardless - the people’s voice is binding. Referendums mean the UK is gradually moving towards a system of entrenchment.
Give the definition of legal sovereignty.
‘Ultimate power and the source of all political power, as enforced by the legal system and the state’.
What is a unitary constitution?
When sovereignty lies in one single place.
What is a federal constitution?
When sovereignty is divided between a central body and regional bodies.
