The British Constitution

Before examining the nature of the British constitution it is important to have a clear understanding of what is meant by ‘organs’ or ‘institutions’ of government. In this context we mean the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, in addition, in the United Kingdom, the monarch has an important constitutional role as head of the state.

The British constitution is not ‘written’, that is to say, it has never been wholly reduced to writing. Further, since Parliament is ‘sovereign’ it can, without any special procedure, and by simple Act, alter any law at any time, however, fundamental it may seem to be. Although, therefore, the courts have always been statute to safeguard the rights of the subject and although legal remedies, such as habeas corpus, are designed to protect him, yet, under the constitution, there are no guaranteed rights similar to the fundamental liberties safeguarded by the US Constitution.

The statement that the British Constitution is not ‘written’ does not mean that the British citizens possess no important constitutional documents; it merely means that the constitution is not embodied in any single document, or series of documents, containing the essential constitutional laws. Thus, the British citizens have many enactments which either have been or still are, of great importance. One needs only to cite as examples Magna Carta (1215), the Habeas Corpus (1679), the Bill of Rights (1688) – which set out the principle rights gained by Parliament and the nation as the result of the seventeenth century constitutional struggles – the Act of Settlement, (1700), and the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949.

The sources of the British Constitution can be found in custom law, case law books, European Community law (since 1972) / European Union law (at present) and, most important, constitutional conventions. These are informal or ‘moral’ rules – a code of practice for government, which has evolved over the years. They are primarily concerned with the relationship between the Crown (Monarch) and the executive and the legislature. Many constitutional rules, such, for example, as the provisions of the Act of Settlement are laws in the ordinary sense, that is, they will be recognized and enforced by the courts.

3. Give the Ukrainian equivalents for the following words and expressions:

The Act of Settlement; the Magna Carta; European Community law; European Union law; in addition; without any special procedure; constitutional conventions; a code of practice for government; to evolve over the years; be primarily concerned with the relationship between Crown and the executive and the legislature; provisions of the act; to reduce to writing; to be statute to safeguard the rights of the subject.

4. Find in the text English equivalents for the following words and expressions:

Звичайне право; тобто; верховний; змінити закон; прецедентне право; гарантувати (захищати) права людини; результат конституційної боротьби; моральні норми діяльності уряду; право Європейського Союзу; судова влада; законодавча влада; виконавча влада; засоби правового захисту; повністю доведені до письма; суттєві конституційні закони; особлива процедура; гарантовані права; втілені в єдиному документі; встановлювати головні права; за конституцією.

5. A: Fill in the appropriate word from the list below.

Altered, enactment, evolved, reduce, wholly, embodied

1. His words were … true. 2. We have been able to … our tax bill by 10%. 3. Constitutional law has …. very much since the US Constitution was adopted. 4. Real power should be …. in Parliament. 5. We support the call for the ….. of a Bill of Rights. 6. English law and Scots law … differently in form and substance which has resulted in different principles, institutions and traditions.

B: Fill in the appropriate proposition or adverb.

1. Don't concern yourself … matters that are not your business. 2. ….the British constitution, there are no similar documents guaranteeing rights and fundamental liberties safeguarded … the US Constitution. 3. The British citizens have many constitutional documents which are … great importance. 4. Magna Carta, the Habeas Corpus, the Bill of Rights set … the principle rights gained … Parliament and the nation … the result … the seventeenth century constitutional struggles. 5. … addition, the monarch has an important constitutional role … head of the state. 6. These are also ‘moral’ rules – a code … practice … government.

6. Read and say whether these statements are true or false:

1. An unwritten constitution can be easily changed. 2. The monarch has no constitutional role under the Constitution. 3. There are no documents containing constitutional laws in the United Kingdom. 4. Parliament must follow a special procedure to alter constitutional laws. 5. The law courts can apply certain legal remedies to protect the rights of the subjects. 6. Parliament has no power to make laws to protect individual rights. 7. The rights of the British citizens are safeguarded in the same way as the rights of the Americans. 8. Precedents are the part of the British Constitutional Law. 9. The Code of Practice for Government regulates relations between the Monarch, the executive and the legislature. 10. The legislative organs enforce the provisions of the constitutional documents.

7. Choose a word or phrase (a, b, or c) which best completes the unfinished sentence:

1. By …. we mean the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.

a) convention; b) constitution; c) organ;

2. The constitutional…. is a treaty of multilateral nature relating to the exercise of their functions by the Crown, the government, Parliament, and the judiciary that are not legally enforceable but are commonly followed if they were.

a) convention; b) constitution; c) precedent;

3. A prerogative writ used to challenge the validity of a person’s arrest, either in official custody or in private hands is called … .

a) the Bill of Rights; b) Magna Carta; c) Habeas corpus;

4. The constitutional document that guaranteed the freedom of church, restricted taxes and fines, promised justice to all is … .

a) the Bill of Rights; b) Magna Carta; c) Habeas Corpus;

5. The … is a document that sets out legal rules and has been passed by both Houses of Parliament in the form of a Bill and agreed to by the Crown.

a) Act of Settlement; b) Act of Parliament; c) Royal Assent;

6. The … is the agreement of the Crown, given by the royal prerogative, that converts a Bill into an Act of Parliament.

a) Act of Settlement; b) Act of Parliament; c) Royal Assent;

7. …. is an act of parliament, an order, or any other piece of subordinate legislation, or any particular provision contained in any of them.

a) Judicial review; b) Enactment; c) Enforcement.

8. Match the definition in the right column to the word in the left.

1. sovereign	a) a set of rules or principles governing the behavior of a particular group or individual;
2. remedy	b) to provide a guarantee, to protect;
3. to safeguard	c) established organization or body;
4. source	d) to include, comprise;
5. enactment	e) way to get redress;
6. code	f) law passed by a legislative body;
7. to embody	g) original documents, serving as material for a study;
8. institution	h) having the highest power;

9. Study the text more carefully and answer the following questions:

1. What does the term ‘organ’ or ‘institution’ mean in the constitutional sense? 2. Which power in Britain is sovereign? 3. Who can alter the rules of the British constitution? 4. What does the term ‘unwritten constitution’ mean to the British citizens? 5. What are the main sources of the British constitution?

10. Translate into English.

1. Основні джерела – законодавство, судовий прецедент, додаткові джерела – звичайне та прецедентне право. 2. Те, що Британська конституція не є єдиним писаним документом, не означає, що в країні не має конституційних документів. 3. Конституція Великобританії не втілена в єдиний документ, а представлена серією документів, які включають суттєві конституційні закони та конституційні права. 4. Обов’язком британської судової системи є примусове здійснення волі парламенту через його законодавство. 5. Конституція гарантує рівні права всім громадянам, незалежно від кольору шкіри, раси, статі, релігійних вірувань, місця проживання