British Constitution

The British constitution has evolved over many centuries. Unlike the constitutions of America, France and many Commonwealth countries, the British constitution has not been assembled at any time into a single, consolidated document. Instead it is made up of common law, statute law, conventions etc.

Of all the democratic countries in the world, only Israel is comparable to Britain in having no single document codifying the way its political institutions function and setting out the basic rights and duties of its citizens. Britain does, however, have certain important constitutional documents, including the Magna Carta (1215) which protects the rights of the community against the Crown; the Bill of Rights (1689) which extended the powers of Parliament, making it impracticable for the Sovereign to ignore the wishes of the Government; and the Reform Act (1832), which reformed the system of parliamentary representation. Common law as a constitutional source has never been precisely defined - it is deduced from custom or legal precedents and interpreted in court cases by judges. Conventions are another source of Constitution. They are rules and practices which are not legally enforceable, but which are regarded as indispensable to the working of government. Many conventions are derived from the historical events through which the British system of government has evolved. One convention is that Ministers are responsible and can be held to account for what happens in their Departments.

Unlike constitutions that make explicit provision for their amendment and are often difficult to change, the English constitution may be changed easily. It may be altered, and in the past it has been altered, through the slow accretion of custom, by an act of Parliament, or by judicial interpretation.

The flexibility of the British constitution helps to explain why it has developed so fully over the years. However, since Britain joined the European Community in 1973, the rulings of the European Court of Human Justice have increasingly determined and codified sections of British law in those areas (covered by the various treaties) to which Britain is a party. In the process British constitutional and legal arrangements are beginning to resemble those of Europe.

Answer the following questions:

1) What type of Constitution does Great Britain have?

2) What is the structure of British Constitution?

3) What are the advantages of unwritten Constitution?

Compare the British and Russian Constitutions (flexibility and alteration, protection of human rights, etc.)

TASK 2. Translate into English:

Отличительной характеристикой британской Конституции является отсутствие какого-либо единого документа, который можно было бы назвать основным законом страны. Более того, не существует даже точного перечня документов, которые бы относились к Конституции.

Это вызвано особым (по сравнению с другими странами Европы) характером права Великобритании, которое относится к англо-саксонской системе. Отличительной особенностью этой системы является использование в качестве источника права судебного прецедента, а также длительным самостоятельным развитием британского права.

Выделяют несколько составляющих Конституции: статутное право, общее право, конституционные соглашения, которым соответствуют следующие источники права: статуты, судебные прецеденты и конституционные соглашения.

В праве Великобритании отсутствует различие между «конституционным» и «текущим» законом — действует общий порядок принятия и изменения законов, что определяет «гибкий» характер основного закона, возможность его модификации без прохождения сложной процедуры изменения или дополнения, как в других странах (принятие на референдуме или большинством в парламенте и пр.).

Конституция Великобритании, в отличие от многих других документов конституционного британского права, является единой для Соединенного Королевства Англии, Уэльса, Шотландии и Северной Ирландии.

TASK 3. Match the following words and expressions and define them:

1. written constitution 2. political conventions 3. explicit

a. implied b. written law c. unwritten constitution

TASK 4. Study the text below, making sure you fully comprehend it.

Magna Carta

Magna Carta (Latin for Great Charter, literally " Great Paper "), also called Magna Carta Libertatum (Great Charter of Freedoms), is an English legal charter, originally issued in the year 1215. It was written in Latin. Magna Carta required King John of England to proclaim certain rights (mainly of his barons), respect certain legal procedures, and accept that his will could be bound by the law. It explicitly protected certain rights of the King's subjects. But it was not in King John’s best interests. Nor was it his original thought.

Today we also know the Magna Carta as a forerunner of American rights and liberties. People refer to it with reverence. But granting the "Great Charter" was not in the king’s best interests. Why did he agree to it? Or did he?

John was always in trouble with someone. The fourth son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitane, he was ineligible to inherit land (hence his nickname "Lackland"). Because he inherited no land, he was always conniving to gain land by other means.

But when he finally became king he lost English holdings in France. For much of his reign, John was preoccupied in regaining those lost French territories. To pay for his battles, he increased taxes on the landed barons. Finally, the English barons revolted against the high taxes and captured London in May of 1215. They issued their terms of rapprochement: The monarch would be forced to sign a charter giving legal rights to the barons and creating obligations on the part of the crown.

Presented with the Magna Carta, he agreed to its terms for one purpose only: to buy time.

Main Provisions

For Great Britain, Magna Carta is Statute Number One. Of the Magna Carta’s 63 provisions, the most important categories were:

· Independence of the church in England,

· Freedom from undue tax burdens;

· Judicial rights: the fundamental concept of habeas corpus (“you have the body”) by which no one can be imprisoned without due process of law; fines should be proportionate to the offense;

· Anti-corruption and fair trade: Magna Carta guarantees that no royal officer may take any commodity such as corn, wood, or transport without payment or consent; the document proclaimed the safety and right of entry and exit of foreign merchants.

Charter was confirmed by later English kings. Its eminent place, and effect, in the modern world of law remains unquestioned.

TASK 5. Find equivalents of the following word combinations in the text:

1. провозгласить определенные права

2. уважать определенные правовые процедуры

3. связанный законом

4. королевские подданные

5. предвестник американских прав и свобод

6. не иметь права наследовать землю

7. быть коварным с целью завоевать земли

8. восстать против высоких налогов и

9. условия примирения

10. обязательства со стороны короны

11. налоговое бремя

12. изымать товары

TASK 6. Match the terms with their definitions:

Inherit	impose a legal or contractual obligation
Revolt	predecessor
Bind	to receive (property, a right, title, etc.) by succession or under a will
Terms	legally or officially unable to be considered for a position or benefit
Forerunner	take violent action against an established government or ruler; rebel
Ineligible	conditions under which an action may be undertaken or agreement reached; stipulated or agreed requirements

TASK 7. Complete the text using the words from the box:

History of the “Great Charter”

Frustrated by King John’s abuse of power, in 1215 English barons demanded that he ……. a charter to recognize their …….. This famous charter …… ……… as Magna Carta (Latin for “Great Charter”), which granted “to all freemen of our kingdom” certain rights and liberties.

Magna Carta came to be seen as the …….. for many future legal documents, establishing the common law as the supreme authority in England to which even the king was subject. Subsequent interpretations of Magna Carta shaped its legacy as one of the most ………. legal documents in world history.

While Magna Carta was not the first …….. to limit a king’s power, it was the first written limitation of the power of the king, marked with the king’s great seal. In addition, it planted the seed for many concepts found within our legal system today and is ……… as a foundational, landmark document of the rule of law.

TASK 8. Answer the following questions:

1. What are the main provisions of Magna Carta?

2. Why John he was ineligible to inherit land?

3. Why did John increase taxes for barons and what was their reaction on it?

4. Why did John agree to sign barons’ terms?

5. What kinds of rights were protected by Magna Carta?

6. What are the effects of the document?

TASK 9. Study the text below, making sure you fully comprehend it. Where appropriate, consult English-Russian dictionaries and/or other reference & source books on law.