sources of the UK constitution

Question 1

Common law

Answer 1

-what judges decide becomes this
-judge made law
-tested in a court of law
-made on a constitutional basis

Question 2

conventions

Answer 2

-convention= party that achieves most votes gets government
-FPTP

Question 3

royal prerogatives

Answer 3

-held by PM + top ministers
-Charles 1 closed parliament- civil war
-filtered down powers of monarch to government
-e.g. Johnson closed parliament for 1 month during COVID

Question 4

statute law

Answer 4

-defines citizens rights
-acts of Parliament
-written in one plays
-laws made, then go to statute books
-e.g. Fixed Terms Parliament Act, Dangerous Dogs Act

Question 5

treaties

Answer 5

-part of statute law
-made in + debated by Parliament
-e.g. Representation of the People Act 1969

Question 6

EU law

Answer 6

-does not take precedence over UK laws post-Brexit
-UK still follows some EU laws voluntarily
-intergrated into legal system
-e.g. Factattain case- proved EU law took precedence over UK

Question 7

Authoritative works

Answer 7

-texts written to explain how constitution/parliament works
-The Cabinet Manual 2010- produced at start of coalition, internal rules + processes
-Walter Bagehot’s ‘The English Constitution’- 1867
-A V Dicey’s ‘introduction to the study of the Law of the Constitution- 1885’