The constitution

Question 1

What is a constitution ?

Answer 1

A set of rules determining where sovereignty lies in a political
system, and establishing the relationship between the government and the governed.

Question 2

What is unentrenched ?

Answer 2

A constitution with no special procedure for amendment.

Question 3

What is uncodified ?

Answer 3

A constitution not contained in a single written document

Question 4

What is unitary ?

Answer 4

A political system where all legal sovereignty is contained in a single place.

Question 5

What is parliamentary sovereignty?

Answer 5

The principle that Parliament can make, amend or unmake any law, and cannot bind its successors or be bound by its predecessors.

Question 6

What is the rule of law ?

Answer 6

The principle that all people and bodies, including government, must
follow the law and can be held to account if they do not

Question 7

What is a statue law ?

Answer 7

Laws passed by Parliament.

Question 7

What is common law ?

Answer 7

Laws made by judges where the law does not cover the issue or is unclear.

Question 8

What is devolution ?

Answer 8

The dispersal of power, but not sovereignty, within a political
system.

Question 9

What is a constituency ?

Answer 9

an area whose voters elect a representative to a legislative body.

Question 10

What is a convention ?

Answer 10

Conventions may be written or unwritten. They are principles of behaviour which are not legally enforceable, but form part of the constitution.

Question 11

What are the Authoritative works ?

Answer 11

A handfuls of long established legal and political texts that have come to be accepted as reference points.

Question 12

What is an example of a convention ?

Answer 12

1707 - Queen Anne refused to approve Scottish militia bill.
Gordon brown said needed more consent to war
Tony Iraq didn’t ask
Margret - Falkland

Question 13

What is an example of an authoritative work ?

Answer 13

Erskine May - explains law principles proceeding and usage of parliament 1844-2019

Question 14

When was new labour and constitutional reform ?

Answer 14

1997 - 2010 under Blair

Question 15

When was human rights act passed ?

Answer 15

1998 , gave rights to life , liberty , personal security and rights to a fair trial

Question 16

When was the conservative / Liberal Democrats coalition ?

Answer 16

2010 - 2015 not many significant changes to constitution

Question 17

What was the fixed term parliament act ?

Answer 17

2011 established a pattern of fixed general elections 2021 Johnson planned to replace act

Question 18

What was the Scotland act 2012?

Answer 18

Gave Scottish government the power to change income tax up or down 10 pence. And allowed to borrow 2.2Bn per annum

Question 19

What was the House of Lords act 2014 ?

Answer 19

halting the number of those eligible to sit and vote in the House of Lords.

Question 20

What was the Wales act in 2014 ?

Answer 20

It was the UK governments response to the silk commons recommendation on further devolution

Question 21

What was the recall of MPs act 2015 ?

Answer 21

2013 McKay commission recommended that only English Ops should be allowed to vote on English measures.

Question 22

When was “ English votes for English laws “ first introduced ?

Answer 22

In 2015 as House Of Commons saw changes in standing order in 2015

Question 23

What did the Scotland act in 2016 do ?

Answer 23

Meant that devolved institutions had power of income tax and gained 50% control of vat , levies.

Question 24

How is the Scottish parliament structured ?

Answer 24

It has 129 members elected through the AMS system and 73 MPs elected in a single member constituency ( FPTP)

Question 25

What did Scotland act 1998 do for devolved powers?

Answer 25

Gave Scotland parliament tax rising and primary legislation powers or many things e.g law and order or education and transport .

Question 26

How is the National Assembly for Wales structured ?

Answer 26

40 members are elected for single member constutenices under FPTP and 20 members are elected in fine multi member regions using PR .

Question 27

What did Wales act give in 2017 ?

Answer 27

it gave primary legislation powers and moved to system of reserved powers similar to Scotland

Question 28

What did the Good Friday Agreement do for Northern Ireland ?

Answer 28

In 1998 the good Friday agreement a power sharing agreement between parties in the NI assembly

Question 29

How is NI assembly (Stormont) structured ?

Answer 29

Has 90 members elected by STV .