Why is the British constitution called uncodified?
Its rules come from multiple sources, not one legal text.
How did the British constitutional system develop?
It developed gradually through history with crisis accelerations.
What does the development of the British constitutional system concern?
How political power was gradually developed, organised, and limited.
Does the British constitutional system remain institutionally fixed?
No, it changes throughout its historical development.
What does common law consist of?
Judicial decisions or jurisprudence that are not statutes but are binding.
What are constitutional conventions?
Unwritten practices and traditions explaining government function.
What are authoritative works in constitutional law?
Legal texts by experts explaining parliamentary procedure.
How has the British constitutional system developed?
Through laws, judicial decisions, political practices, conventions, and historical documents.
Who contributes political practices to the British constitutional system?
The King and government leaders.
Who led the Saxon tribes and what system did they create?
Leaders led Saxon tribes and created the monarchy system.
What was the basis of early monarchy and why was it not hereditary?
Early monarchy was based on divine right but not hereditary because kingship was taken by force and the monarch was feared.
Who established a strong monarchy in England after the Norman Conquest?
William the Conqueror established a strong monarchy in England.
Why did Norman kings depend on taxation and cooperation of social groups?
Because barons and powerful people could form alliances.
What institution developed in the thirteenth century to share power with the king?
A representative institution resembling a parliament developed.
What kind of ruler was King John?
King John was authoritarian and capricious.
What event forced King John to accept the Magna Carta in 1215?
His defeat and the barons' revolt forced him to accept it.
Who did the Magna Carta originally aim to protect?
The privileges of the nobility.
What principle did the Magna Carta introduce about the sovereign?
The sovereign is subject to the law.
What power did the barons have to pressure King John?
They could refuse taxation and form alliances.
Test your knowledge with 14 questions on The British Constitution.
1. Why is the British constitution described as uncodified?
2. How did the British constitutional system develop over time?
Review the complete course in the study sheet for The British Constitution.
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