British Government and the Constitution Essay Example
British Government and the Constitution Essay Example

British Government and the Constitution Essay Example

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  • Pages: 3 (804 words)
  • Published: October 29, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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It can be challenging to discuss the British constitution as the country does not have a traditional one. Instead, customs, traditions, religious beliefs and moral laws define governance. Technically, Britain is a monarchy with an elected representative parliament. Defining a domestic constitution has been difficult historically; the Magna Carta of 1215 aimed to maintain order but was considered unworkable due to its strong reliance on religion. Early parliaments were in constant dispute with the crown over power until 1688 when seven Whigs replaced James II with joint rulers William of Orange and Mary Stuart.

The Whigs advocated for reform, the limitation of royal powers, and the supremacy of parliament over the monarchy. This led to the Judicature Acts of the 19th century blurring the distinctions between Equity and Common law. Meanwhile, the Tories at this time supported the Crow

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n, Church, and Constitution. These two opposing ideologies resulted in a government theory that relied on balancing the principles of the Monarchy and parliamentary rule.

John Locke's book On Civil Government 1689 described the constitution as consisting of the Monarch, Parliament, and the Judiciary. The Monarch and Parliament were supposed to act in harmony, while the Judiciary was meant to be independent and enforce the laws of Parliament, custom, and tradition. The introduction of the Whigs civil list kept the Monarch short of money, making them accountable for funding the armed forces and government by submitting estimates to Parliament. This resulted in Parliament gaining more control over Royal policy and growing in power. The Protestant Monarch, William of Orange, secured with Parliament the legal ruling that only a Protestant could be crowned and promote government policy. Thes

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principles have since changed, and the constitution now revolves around the rule of Law and the supremacy of Parliament.

While it was once believed that only lawyers could claim ownership of the constitution and write about it in a narrow-minded way, a lawyer and a political scientist may now argue different views. However, it is undeniable that lawyers played a crucial role in its creation while judges and other law practitioners, political philosophers, controversialists, party organizations, peers, rebels, and many others also contributed to it significantly. Unlike other countries, the British government is not bound to follow a written charter, which may explain why they often exhibit bold actions.

Peter Hitchens, writing for The Mail on Sunday on 08-12-2002, expresses his belief that there is a prevalent ignorance in society that is characterized by left-liberal, amoral, and conformist attitudes.

In 1983, only 12% of people supported the legalization of cannabis, a dangerous and mind-altering substance.

According to current statistics, 41% of the population endorses the act of suicide as a viable policy.

. The percentage of people who believed homosexuality was wrong decreased from 70% in the Eighties to 47% due to years of persistent propaganda.

. "People's disenchantment with governmental policy is becoming more common, as the goals of parliament often fail to align with the needs and desires of the general public. It seems that soon everyone will conform to wearing the same pseudo-rebellious fashion and buying the same globalized products. While Britain may be considered a monarchy with a democratically elected government, the truth is that the Executive (government), Legislature (parliament), and Judicature (the court system) share power. These three branches of government are supposed to

operate as separate entities, known as the Separation of Powers, but in reality, they work in tandem.

The position of the Monarchy in this roster is reduced to performing customary procedures and granting titles. When Britain joined Europe in 1973, some viewed it as acquiring a constitution to govern with. It might be considered a positive development, and it could also offer an opportunity for real communism to restore its humane and moral credibility. For many years, the British government's system has been one of the most centralized in Europe, with considerably more decisions being made at the national level than in countries like Germany or Belgium. Nonetheless, both member states have accomplished a successful level of regional governance.

The amalgamation of the East and West in Germany demonstrated the importance of distributing wealth for the common good. Although hesitant steps have been taken towards regional government in Scotland and Wales over the past four years, treating these authorities as representatives of Westminster has not made a significant difference. To improve this situation, a federal system with directly elected regional authorities and clear powers would be more effective. This approach would bring decision-making closer to people's lives and reduce the influence of remote bureaucrats.

It could be advantageous for England, Britain, Europe, and humanity in general to move towards a federal system. This would provide better safeguarding of individual rights and potentially shape opinions towards a unified European federation. Rather than emphasizing unneeded laws and self-centeredness, let us focus on creating a constitution that benefits everyone.

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