Constitution of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has an uncodified constitution, which means it is not all contained in a single document. There are several sources of the constitution, some being written down and some not.
Key principles
The key principles of the constitution are the underlying features of the constitution. The two most important principles have existed for a very long time, since the creation of Parliament. They were identified by the constitutional lawyer, A.V. Dicey as the twin pillars of the constitution.
The most recent key principle is European Union membership, the principle that EU law takes precedence over UK law. This principle was famously identified in the Factortame case in which the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 was overturned. This appears to undermine the principle of Parliamentary sovereignty, but Parliament could still withdraw from the EU by repealing the European Communities Act 1972, so in a way sovereignty is preserved.
The other important principles are:
Sources
There are several sources of the constitution, shown below. Not all of the sources are written down, some being contained in conventions for example, but is incorrect to say the UK has an "unwritten constitution" because much of it is written down.
The main sources of the constitution are:
History
- Main article: History of the British constitution
Among the many key statutes or conventions are:
See also
