Recently, I have been reflecting on the question: ‘Does the UK constitution still work?’ Of course, the question is value-laden. For one thing, it implicitly assumes that, whether or not it works now, the UK constitution at least once worked adequately — an assumption that is not universally shared. And buried within the question is… Continue reading The UK constitution under pressure: A lost age of civility?
Tag: parliamentary sovereignty
The (constitutional) state we’re in: A week in British politics
If proof were needed that a week can be a long time in politics, one would need to look no further than the events of the last seven days in the UK. Three matters during the course of the last week have vividly illustrated — individually, but more importantly collectively — an increasingly clear narrative… Continue reading The (constitutional) state we’re in: A week in British politics
Brexit, the Executive and Parliament: A response to John Finnis
In a recent article in the Telegraph, Professor John Finnis advances two quite astonishing arguments. First, he advocates proroguing Parliament until after 12 April (the day on which the UK is scheduled to leave the EU) in order to ‘terminate parliamentary debate’ on Brexit. (Prorogation is the ending of a parliamentary session pending the next… Continue reading Brexit, the Executive and Parliament: A response to John Finnis
Extending Article 50: Separating myth and legal reality
There appears to be a degree of uncertainty about the legal position concerning the extension of Article 50. Confusion seems to have arisen thanks to a combination of the way in which the European Council structured its decision to grant an extension and failure to understand the distinction and relationship between relevant provisions of European… Continue reading Extending Article 50: Separating myth and legal reality
The Brexit Withdrawal Agreement: Taking back “control of our laws”?
On its new "Brexit Facts" website, the UK Government takes issue with the claim that the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement "would not give us back control of our laws". However, in disputing that claim, the Government makes some questionable assertions of its own
Sovereignty, Primacy and the Common Law Constitution: What has EU Membership Taught Us?
In a new paper, I explore what light has been shone on the UK constitution, and on the axiomatic principle of parliamentary sovereignty in particular, by EU membership — and what the post-Brexit constitutional legacy of that membership might be
1,000 words / The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018
The EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 paves the way for Brexit by providing for the repeal of the European Communities Act 1972 and converting EU law into UK law. This post summarises how the Act works and briefly considers some of the key constitutional issues that it raises.
Sovereignty or supremacy? Lords Constitution Committee reports on EU (Withdrawal) Bill
Mark Elliott and Stephen Tierney summarise the House of Lords Constitution Committee's report on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, and highlight some of the key constitutional implications raised by the Committee
The Brexit agreement and citizens’ rights: Can Parliament deliver what the Government has promised?
In the preliminary agreement concerning the terms of Brexit, the UK Government promises to give EU citizens' rights direct effect in UK law and to make them legally ironclad unless the legislating giving effect to them is itself expressly repealed. But does the principle of parliamentary sovereignty prevent such a high degree of protection from being accorded to citizens' rights?
The EU (Withdrawal) Bill: Initial Thoughts
This post looks in some detail (albeit preliminarily) at how the EU (Withdrawal) Bill works, and comments on some of the key constitutional issues that it raises. A shorter post on the Bill, which forms part of my 1,000 words series, can be found here.
