The Strengths of the U.K. Constitution

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The Strengths of the U.K. Constitution Britain’s need for a codified constitution, as a unitary state, is different. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is also a political union, but based on the sovereignty of the national Parliament. The UK now has a Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly able to pass their own domestic legislation and a National Assembly for Wales which can make secondary legislation. But all these were created by and are subordinate to the Westminster Parliament, as are all 468 county, borough, district and unitary councils. Parliamentary sovereignty also entails the right to make or unmake any law whatever. This means that (a) historically the courts have had no power to veto legislation, and (b) no Parliament is bound in perpetuity by existing laws, including our treaties with the EU. Under the Human Rights Act, there are some powers for the courts to strike down some legislation that is incompatible with these rights, however, only Parliament itself can change p...

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