key events in the development of the Constitution over time

Question 1

what was The Magna Carta 1215 and why was it important?

Answer 1

it was when the barons placed restrictions on the power of the monarchy, this was a big thing because power was moving from the monarch to Parliament, which before, the Monarchy held all power, and after the Magna Carta, it now holds limited power according to the rule of law

Question 2

The Bill of Rights 1689

Answer 2

the bill of rights confirmed that parliament is sovereign (parliament has more say), further limiting the monarchs power and increasing parliamentary sovereignty

Question 3

The Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949

Answer 3

before these acts, the HOL and HOC were of equal power, however, in 1911 the HOL could no longer reject proposed legislations, and could only delay legislation by 2 years, and in 1949, this was reduced to only 1 year, leaving the House of Commons with more power (senior house)

Question 4

The European Communities Act 1972

Answer 4

this act brought the UK and the EU together, later becoming the European Union, however, in 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU, but for almost 50 years, this was a key feature to the UK constitution

Question 5

The European Communities Act 2017

Answer 5

gave parliamentary consent to the UKs exit from the EU

Question 6

what are the ‘twin pillars’ of sovereignty?

Answer 6

the idea that there were two factors that upheld the British political system, one was parliamentary sovereignty and the other was the rule of law