Chapter 5 - 4/6 - Constitutional reform Flashcards
How many hereditary peers did the House of Lords Act 1999 reduce the number to?
92
When was the Backbench Business Committee established?
2010
What did the establishment of the Backbench Business Committee do?
It gave MPs’ control over 20 parliamentary days to debate issues of their choosing.
When was the Human Rights Act passed?
1998
What did the Human rights Act do?
Incorporate the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law.
How many freedoms does the ECHR establish?
18
Give 3 of the 18 freedoms established by the ECHR.
- Life
- Liberty
- From servitude
What did the ECHR require all signatories to do (not part of the 18 freedoms)?
- Abolish the death penalty.
- Hold free and fair elections.
How many time was the UK government brought before the European Court of Human Rights since 1966, leading the 1997 Labour government to pass the HRA 1998?
More than 50 times.
What did the HRA 1998 give the UK constitution?
Its first codified piece of the constitution.
What 3 areas of electoral reform are there?
- The franchise.
- The way we vote.
- The electoral system.
When was the first time in British history that 16- and 17-year-olds could vote?
2014 Scottish Independence referendum.
In which country is voting compulsory and sees turnouts of over 90%?
Australia
What is an electoral system?
The way votes are counted and converted into seats.
What electoral system do Scotland and Wales use?
Alternative Member System
What electoral system does Northern Ireland use?
Single Transferable Vote
When was a referendum held on introducing the Alternative Vote system?
2011 - it was rejected decisively.
What does the Freedom of Information Act 2000 do?
Gives people the right to view information held by public bodies that relates to them, as well as the right to see information that is in the public interest.
How does the UK version of freedom of information differ from other countries’ versions?
In the UK the onus is on the ‘outsider’ to prove that information should be released, rather than the government having to justify why they want to withhold information as happens in other countries.
What event was caused by the introduction of freedom of information in the UK?
The expenses scandal in 2008. Parliament tried to block the information about MPs’ expense being released but failed, and parliament was humiliated and had to reform the expenses system.
When was the Constitutional Reform Act passed?
2005
What did the Constitutional Reform Act do?
- Separated the judiciary and government.
- Created the Supreme Court.
- Created the Judicial Appointments Commission to assess all appointments to the senior judiciary.
What happened to the role of Lord Chancellor under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005?
Largely removed, being merged with that of Justice Secretary meaning the holder would be in charge of justice policy but not justice practice.
Before the Supreme Court was created, what was the highest court of appeal?
The House of Lords and the ‘Law Lords’ inside.
