PAPER 1 - GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS IN THE UK Flashcards
define codified
constitution on a single written document
- usa
define uncodified
a constitution which is not written on a single document
- uk constitution
statute law
-acts of parliament that affect and alter the british constitution
- covers laws that impact on civil liberties and human rights such as the human rights act 1998
common law
- laws passed down over the years by legal judgement in the courts
- eg - magna carta
unitary
- all power ultimately derives from central government
rule of law
- everyone is equally subject to the laws of the land
- even gov and ministers cannot break their own laws
parliamentary sovereignty
- the basis of the uk constitution
- parliament is the supreme authority in britain
- this means that parliaments laws cannot be struck down by a higher authority
the royal prerogative
- the powers traditionally held by the monarch but now, they preserve of the PM
- these powers include the power of patronage, being commander- in- cheif and negotiating treaties with foreign powers
conventions
- unwritten traditions that help to state and gov run more smoothly
- eg - 1945 sailsbury convention
authoritive opinions
- the writings and books of constitutional experts that clarify and explain the inner workings of the constitution
- eg - the cabinet manual 2010
human rights
- rights which apply to all people
- cannot be removed from anyone????
- they are absolute, universal and fundamental
manifesto
- a list of policy commitments released by a party before an election
- once elected, the gov should deliver this manifesto
when was the magna carta made
1215
when was the bill of rights made
1689
when was the act of settlement made
1701
when was the parliament acts made
1911 and 1949
what are the sources of the british constitution
- statute law
- common law
- conventions
works of authority
international conventions
what is the freedom of information act 2000
allows public bodies such as the gov and nhs to - publish and make publically available certain info about their activities
- allow members of the public to request info from these public authorities via a freedom of info request
what is the purpose of the freedom of information act?
- to promote openness and transparity amongst the public bodies
- meant to boost public trust in such organisations and remove secrecy
advan of freedom of info act 2000
- requests are popular and widespread, over 44,000 requests were made in 2020
- allows for public scrutiny
- allows public and pressure groups to identify examples of waste and inefficiency or corruption in public bodies
disadvantages of freedom of info act 2000
- public bodies often refuse requests for info
-in 2020 around 50% of all requests were denied either in full or in part - often the requests were declined becaus ethey wpuld involve the release of personal info about individuals which lead to a conflict between an individuals right to privacy
what are individual rights
rights that apply to individual citizens
- eg the right to free expression and the right of free education up to the age of 18
what are collective rights
rights that protect a whole group of individuals
- eg workers in specific jobs, religious groups or disabled people
how do individual rights and collective rights clash? 3 reasons
- the individual right to privacy ( individual ) but suspected terrorists might have their phone calls monitered to protect the collective right to security
-the individual choice whether or not to be vaccinated against covid 19 ( individual ) and the collective right of those classed as clinically vunerable to be protects from covid 19 - the individual right to free speech and opinion ( individual ) but the collective right of a particular group ( musims )mand racial minorities not to be subjected to hate speech
