UK legislation: The United Kingdom Westminster Parliament is the primary legislative body in the United Kingdom. The long-standing principle of parliamentary sovereignty remains. Powers of Westminster have been reduced in respect of the devolved administrations, although they owe their constitution and existence to Acts of Parliament. A public bill/act is one that applies generally. A […]
House Of Commons Standing Orders provide for addressing questions to Ministers. Question time is provided for three days per week for approximately one hour. Ministers of the Government answer questions put by Members of Parliament. The questions are provided in the order of business. Ministers answer questions, and supplementary questions may be put, approximately 20 […]
Parliament consists of the Monarch, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. It derived from the King’s Council in medieval times. The House of Commons is the elected house, and the House of Lords is unelected. The principal function of Parliament is to provide the personnel for government, elect the government, hold the […]
The UK National Health Service was put in place by the post-war Labour government. Its purpose was to provide medical care and treatment free at the point of use for the entire population. It was originally run centrally but was decentralised substantially in the 1980s and 1990s. It now comprises various parts which interact between […]
The separation of powers between institutions was a longstanding principle in constitutions worldwide. There should be three key independent entities within the state: the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. The executive administers and enforces laws. The legislature is the lawmakers. The judiciary decides individual disputes in relation to the application of laws in individual […]
The rule of law, the meaning, and practical effect of the rule of law have been subjects of philosophical commentary for centuries in the context of the British constitution. The rule of law has been described in its practical manifestation to embrace the following principles. A person should not be punishable or made to suffer […]
Traditionally, judicial review focused on legality. Powers delegated by Parliament to a body, whether rule-making, adjudicatory, or quasi-judicial, must be exercised in accordance with the terms of the delegation, exercised properly for their purpose, and carried out with due procedure. The primary focus was on whether the particular action was lawful within or outside powers […]
A visa is a document usually stamped or pasted into a passport, giving permission to enter a country. Visas are required for entry into the UK for nationals of most African, Asian, and South American states. The list is prescribed by law and changes from time to time. Certain Eastern European countries, including Belarus, Kazakhstan, […]
Non-EEA nationals who seek leave to enter or remain as a family member of a British citizen or settled person may apply for visas sponsored by their partner on the application of the British or settled person sponsoring them to join them in the UK. They must have a minimum income of £18,600 (2013) and […]
At common law, any individual within the realm owed the duty of allegiance to the Crown. In return, the Crown owed a duty to protect the individual. In later times, this was referred to as a social contract. Magna Carta 1215 recognized the rights of merchants, other than those from enemy countries, to enter, leave, […]
