Discuss the sources of the British unwritten constitution.
Answer:
- Statutes: these are acts of parliament which are enforced as law.
- Customs: these are traditional practices of the common law e.g. the first born of the sovereign succeeds the queen /king.
-Law of precedents: this is where judges apply accepted principles to a new set of rules to come up with a judgment in a new case.
- Customs of parliament: procedures in the British parliament (House of lords and house of commons) enable the government to work efficiently.
- Historical documents: These are important historical documents which are taken as part of
the British law e.g. the Magna carter.
-Conventions and practices; these are customs that have become respected for a long time and have been accepted as part of the British law.
- Judicial decisions: these are judgments which have been made in courts that are then used as justifications in similar cases in future.