Summary of the UK's Constitution?
Democratic Governments normally function through three bodies:
| The Legislature which makes laws (House of Commons). |
| The Executive which puts laws into effect and plans policy (10, Downing Street). |
| The Judiciary, which decides on cases that, arise out of the laws. |
In America its constitution clearly states the purpose and responsibilities of
its Legislature (Congress), Executive (President’s Office) and Judiciary
(Supreme Court): each have very clear powers as stated in the American
Constitution that restricts each section’s powers and avoids crossover between
the three sectors of politics
The UK system is confusing and dangerous (dependant on who is elected to Parliament) and is possibly why the general public is confused by politics.
The Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and other cabinet members are active members of the Legislative Assembly (House of Commons) yet, they are also leading members of the Executive (10, Downing Street). The Lord Chancellor is a member of the Executive and therefore affects legislation generated in the House of Commons and is also head of the Judiciary whose leading members are the Law Lords who sit in the House of Lords (another part of the Legislature).
The House of Lords (an unelected body) has a right to vote on bills before they can become law, so they are part of the legislative process: but in the House of Lords also sit the Law Lords who are an important part of the Judiciary. This, however, does give them the opportunity to analyse the newly proposed legislation submitted to it from the House of Commons, before sending it back to them, it also enables them, together with the other members of the House of Lords to propose amendments and to check that its content does not contravene European or International law. However, the decisions that the House of Lords comes to, over the proposed legislation, can be over-ridden by the House of Commons using the Parliament Act.