BRITISH CONSTITUTION

BRITISH CONSTITUTION

BRITISH CONSTITUTION

BRITISH CONSTITUTION

Written and unwritten constitutions

A BRIEF DEFINITION OF CONSTITUTION

A constitution that has been systematically written down and embodied in a single document is known as a written/codified constitution.

A constitution is a set of rules that • seek to establish the duties, powers and functions of the various institutions of government; • regulate the relationship between different institutions; • define the relationship between the state and the individual; i.e. define the extent of civil liberty.

Unwritten constitutions

Written constitutions

The Constitution is supreme over any laws passed by the Parliament. Most counties around the world including European countries (except the UK) (Civil Law Systems) USA (but with Common Law System)

The Parliament is supreme in a country where there is an unwritten constitution. United Kingdom New Zealand Canada Saudi Arabia Israel

CONSTITUTION IN THE UK The UK hasn’t got a codified Constitution but it is made of an assembly of laws, acts of Parliament, court judgements which remain unwritten in a single document. It is made of ancient documents such as the Magna Carta (1215) and the Bills of Rights (1689) which established the supremacy of Parliament over the Crown.

The long road to the UK's "unwritten" Constitution

1154

1689

1832

1972

KING HENRY II- COMMON LAW

BILL OF RIGHTS

GREAT REFORM ACT

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ACT

1701

1918

1998

1215

ACT OF SETTLEMENT

REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT

HUMAN RIGHTS ACT

MAGNA CHARTA