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The UK constitution - Coggle Diagram
The UK constitution
Development
Parliament Act 1911
Removed the power of the House of Lords to reject money bills or reject a bill three times. The life of Parliament cannot be extended without consent of the lords.
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Act of Union 1707
Created Great Britain by formally joining Scotland to England and Wales (although retaining a separate Scottish legal system).
Act of settlement 1701
Outlines the succession to the throne in the UK, including Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England
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Bill of Rights 1689
The establishment of a constitutional monarchy in the UK in which the monarch's power is not limitless, outlining the rights of Parliament.
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Magna Carta 1215
A guarantee of certain basic rights including that citizens should not be imprisoned without trial (enshrined in the Habeas Corpus Act, 1679).
Features
Unitary
Political power in the UK all resides in one place- in Parliament. Meaning Parliament is sovereign. In countries with a codified constitution, usually the constitution is sovereign itself.
'Twin Pillars'
Because of the unmodified and unentrenched nature of the UK constitution, it is based on the 'twin pillars' which underpin the UK constitution:
1-Rule of Law
2-Parliament is sovereign
Unentrenched
There is no protection offered for the UK constitution such as a formal amendment process. Instead it can be changed easily, for example by a single act by Parliament. In the US for example amendments would need to be approved by Congress and State.
Uncondified
The UK constitution is not written down in one document meaning it is uncodified. It is drawn from different sources.
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