Example of statute law
Freedom of information Act 2000
Example of Common law
The presumption that a person accused of a crime is innocent until proven guilty
Example of a convention
The principle, established since the 2003 Iraq War, that except in an emergency, the government will not order military action without prior parliamentary approval
Example of convention being ignored
2018- Theresa May on plans to make Syrian Air Strikes
Example of EU treaty:
Maastricht (1992), which transformed the European Community into the European Union.
Lisbon Treaty (2009)
Acts that modernised the House of Lords
- House of Lords Act 1999 (left only 92 hereditary peers)
- From 2000 a House of Lords Appointments Commission nominated a proportion of peers
Constitutional reforms that have enhanced democracy (3)
- Electoral reform (introduced PR in all devolved assemblies)
- Recall of the MPs Act 2015 increases accountability
- The Wright Reforms (2009) redistributed power to backbenchers in the HoC
Reforms that have enhanced rights
Human Rights Act (1998)
Freedom of Information Act (2000)
Equality Act (2010)
Act that created the Supreme Court
Constitutional Reform Act 2005
Act that further devolved power to Scotland
The Scotland Act 2012
The Scotland Act 2016
Scotland tax varying powers
In 2016 the ‘Scottish Rate of Income Tax’ was introduced
Acts that devolved power to Wales
Referendum in 2011- further devolved powers to the Welsh Assembly
Wales Act 2014
The Wales Act 2017- granted new powers in taxation, energy, and local government.
Acts that devolved powers to Northern Ireland (2)
- The Good Friday Agreement 1998
- The Cooperation Tax (Northern Ireland) Act 2015 -devolved power to set cooperation tax
The reaction of regional assemblies in England referendum
Test opinion in the North East decisively rejected the idea in 2004- 78% voted ‘no’
Example of policy diversion due to devolution (4)
- Scotland’s abolition of uni fees
- Prescriptions are free in Wales
- The Welsh Language Measure 2011- seeks to preserve the Welsh language (decreases nationalism)
- Free nursing care for the elderly in Scotland
English Votes for English Laws used
First time in 2016, to pass a housing bill without the involvement of Scottish MPs
EVEL Abolished
abolished in 2021
Devolution not working in Northern Ireland
Stormont suspended between 2017-2020
Evidence that Wales does not intend to move away from the UK
2021 election- 46/60 seats went to the Tories and Labour
Evidence that Scotland intend on leaving the UK
2022- repetitive calls for a second referendum
Evidence that Scotland contrasts in their views compared to the rest of the UK
62% voted Remain in Scotland
Government trying to repeal HRA 1998
Bill of Rights Bill introduced in 2022
Rights being eroded in UK (4)
- Police Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022
- Public Order Act 2023
- Nationality and Borders Act 2022- ability to deprive British Citizens of their citizenship without notice, e.g Shamima Begum
- Judicial Review Act 2022; harder to challenge actions of government in court
Uncodified constitution allowing for flexibility
- As social attitudes change, laws can easily change
- e.g Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013
