United Kingdom Constitution
The constitution of the United Kingdom is the set of laws and principles under which the United Kingdom is governed.
Unlike many other nations, the UK has no single constitutional document. This is sometimes expressed by stating that it has an uncodified or "unwritten" constitution. Much of the British constitution is embodied in written documents, within statutes, court judgments and treaties. The constitution has other unwritten sources, including parliamentary constitutional conventions (as laid out in Erskine May) and royal prerogatives.
Historically, "No Act of Parliament can be unconstitutional, for the law of the land knows not the word or the idea."
Since the Glorious Revolution, the bedrock of the British constitution has traditionally been the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, according to which the statutes passed by Parliament are the UK's supreme and final source of law. It follows that Parliament can change the constitution simply by passing new Acts of Parliament. There is some debate about whether this principle remains valid, particularly in light of the UK's membership in the European Union.
Read more about United Kingdom Constitution: Disputes About The Nature of The UK Constitution, Devolution, Other Constitutional Reforms, Key Statutes and Conventions
Famous quotes containing the words united, kingdom and/or constitution:
“In no other country in the world is the love of property keener or more alert than in the United States, and nowhere else does the majority display less inclination toward doctrines which in any way threaten the way property is owned.”
—Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859)
“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”
—Bible: New Testament, Mark 3:24,25.
“Your Constitution is all sail and no anchor.”
—Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800–1859)