Statute law refers to Acts of Parliament, which from the most important source of the British Constitution.
E.G. Representation of the People Act 1969 ➪ lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
E.G. HRA 1998 ➪ incorporated the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law.
HOWEVER, most statute law is not constitutional law ➪ E.G. education acts or annual finance act do not affect the Constitution.
Before the UK left the EU, EU law indirectly fromed a part of the British Constitution ➪ since EU law is supranational, this meant that EU laws and treaties automatically took precedent over any laws passed by Westminster and were binding on the UK government ➪ E.G. Lisbon Treaty signed in 2007.
This represented a clear if ultimately temporary limit on parliamentary sovereignty.
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Common law
Common law is a body of unwritten laws based on legal precedents established by the courts ➪ E.G. freedom of expression and criminality of murder.
Common law can be and often is modified by statute law ➪ while there is not one specific law that makes murder a criminal offence, there is the obvious notion that it is a crime and has always been viewed as such by the state ➪ E.G. many statute laws have dealt with the punishment for murder, such as abolishing the death penalty in 1965.
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The royal prerogative
The royal prerogative is the residual or remaining powers exercised in the name of the Crown.
Range from high-profile powers ➪ E.G. the power to prorogue parliament ➪ to less well-kown ones ➪ E.G. the issuing of UK passports.
E.G. In 2019 Johnson sought the Queen's permission to prorogue parliaments fro a longer than usual period of 5 weeks.
In its modern incarnation, the royal prerogative could be seen as a key factor in boosting the powers of the PM and the executive.
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Conventions
If laws are the 'nuts and bolts' of the British Constitution, then conventions are the 'oil and grease' that enables politics and particularly parliament to function efficiently and smoothly.
Conventions are unwritten, but are generally agreed on rules and procedures ➪ E.G. Sailsbury Convention 1945, agreed that the HOL will not oppose any legislation promised in its election manifesto.
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Authoritative works
Arguably the least visiblle and clear sources of the British Constitution ➪ comprise a variety of books and documents that deal with areas including parliamentary procedures and the responsibilites and duties of government and ministers.
E.G. The Cabinet Manual (2010) ➪ produced by the Cabinet Office at the start of the coalition government as a guide as to how British government and parliament would work ➪ includes ministerial conduct and the scrutiny of government by parliament.
HOWEVER, they do not have the same power or authority as laws and can easily be overruled by parliamentary statute ➪ they are akin to conventions in this respect.
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