Constitution Flashcards
What are three Historical documents that make up parts of the constitution?
Magna Carta, 1215
The Bill of Rights, 1689
Act of Settlement, 1701
What did the 1911 and 1949 Parliament Acts do?
1911 - Prevented lords from delaying money bills and prevented them from delaying other bills for more than 2 years.
1949 - reduced the time that the lords could delay a bill to 1 year.
When was the European Communities Act?
1972
What are the principles of the constitution?
Parliamentary Sovereignty
Rule of law
Unitary State
Constitutional monarchy
What are the sources of the constitution?
Statute Law Common/ Case Law Authoritative Works Historical Documents Conventions Treaties
What did the 1998 Human Rights Act do?
Codified the ECHR into British law.
Example of a use of the HRA 1998?
After the Hillsborough disaster, families of the victims used the HRA to force an in-depth inquiry into the deaths.
When did new labour and Tony Blair come to power?
1997
Which UK region had problems that needed urgently fixing in 1997?
Northern Ireland
What did the 1999 House of Lords Act do?
Removed all but 92 hereditary peers.
Which Acts established the Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh assemblies?
1998 Scotland Act, Northern Ireland and Welsh Assemblies Acts
What is the West Lothian Question?
The problem of Scottish MPs voting for English laws.
What did the 2017 Burns Report call for?
Reduction in the size of the lords
Why can the Supreme Court only declare primary legislation “incompatible” with the HRA, and not strike it down?
Principle of Parliamentary Sovereignty
What did the 2005 Constitutional Reform Act do?
Separated powers by replacing law lords with a Supreme Court, appointed by a neutral/ independent Judicial Appointments Committee.
