A set of rules that establishes a country's governmental and political system.
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Unentrenched Constitution
A constitution that can be amended by and individual government or HOP.
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Entrenched Constitution
A constitution which has special arrangements to safeguard it from being amended by a temporary government or legislature.
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Uncodified Constitution
A constitution which is not contained in a single document and has a number of different sources.
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Codified Constitution
A constitution which is set out in a single document and has a single source.
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Unitary
Legal sovereignty lies in one place.
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Parliamentary Sovereignty
Principle in the UK that the Westminster Parliament claims to hold legal sovereignty and no other body can claim such sovereignty.
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Rule of Law
Principle that all citizens equal under the law and the government itself is subject to the same laws as the citizens. Government is not above the law.
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Statute Law
Legislation created and passed by HOP. E.g. HRA 1998.
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Common Law
Unwritten laws not passed by HOP but have been passed down through history in the form of judicial precedents.
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Conventions
Unwritten rules which are considered to be binding on all members of the political community. E.g. The Salisbury Convention.
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Authoritative Works
Historical books and documents that clarify the meaning of constitutional principles. E.g. A. V. Dicey's Law of the Constitution.
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Treaties
Agreements with external bodies that bind the UK in some way. E.g. Maastricht Treaty [until 2019].
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Devolution
A process whereby power, but not legal sovereignty, is distributed away from central governments to regional governments.
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
A constitution that can be amended by and individual government or HOP.
Back
Unentrenched Constitution
Card 3
Front
A constitution which has special arrangements to safeguard it from being amended by a temporary government or legislature.
Back
Card 4
Front
A constitution which is not contained in a single document and has a number of different sources.
Back
Card 5
Front
A constitution which is set out in a single document and has a single source.
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