Historical Context Of UK Politics

Question 1

What is meant by an Uncodified constitution ?

Answer 1

A constitution where the laws, rules and principles specifying how a state is to be governed are not gathered in a single document.

Instead they are found in a variety of different sources - some written (statute law) and some unwritten (conventions)

Question 2

What is meant by Habeas Corpus?

Answer 2

A process in which means a person can appeal to the courts against unfair or illegal imprisonment

Question 3

What is Trial by jury?

Answer 3

The idea that a group of twelve peers would hear the evidence in a case and decide if the accused was guilty

Question 4

What is trial by ordeal?

Answer 4

The medieval practice of putting the accused through an ordeal to determine guilt, such as burning their hand and waiting to see how well it healed

Question 5

From the Battle of Hastings in 1066 to the singing of the Magna Carta in 1215, how was England ran?

Answer 5

England was run as a Feudal system - meaning the king effectively owned all the land and everyone had to swear an oath of loyalty or “fealty” to him

Question 6

What is the Chancellor of the exchequer?

Answer 6

The government official responsible for calculating, collecting and distributing government funds through taxation and duties

Question 7

What were the key provisions of the Magna Carta?

Answer 7

• The king could not raise a tax without the consent of the people
• The right to due process in the law was guaranteed
• The right to trial by jury was guaranteed
• Justice had to be free and fair
• The nobles could select a committee of 25 to scrutinise the actions of the king

Question 8

What did the Magna Carta signify?

Answer 8

The Magna Carta was the first time since 1066 that the powers of the monarch had been limited and it was an acknowledgement that the rights of the lords had to be respected.

Magna Carta also paved the way for the creation of parliament