Description

About The Constitution of the United Kingdom
“…Leyland has produced a slim guide to the constitution of the United Kingdom that is both highly readable and impressively thorough. It deserves a place on undergraduate reading lists as a precursor to a more theoretical examination, and given a very reasonable price one hopes that many students will feel able to purchase their own copy. They will certainly find it worth their while.” – CJS Knight, The Cambridge Law Journal
“…provides an excellent discussion of the legal basis of parliamentary sovereignty…” – Alexandra Kelso, Parliamentary Affairs
No one could have imagined when the last edition of this acclaimed book published in 2016, the constitutional earthquakes that were to follow. Brexit, Miller, three prime ministers: little of the United Kingdom’s constitution was unaffected. This much needed new edition retains its hallmark clarity and coherence, with sufficient detail for the novice to develop an informed view of how the constitution works. Taking a thematic approach, it discusses questions of history, sources and conventions, the role of the Crown, Parliament and the electoral system, government and the executive, the judiciary, and the distribution of power. In addition, it offers analysis of the evolution of the uncodified UK constitution, its strengths and perceived weaknesses, and of modernising reforms.
This significantly updated edition provides a topical and contextual outline of the principles, doctrines and institutions that underpin the United Kingdom constitution. Engaging with the central issues in play as the UK enters a new chapter of its constitutional story, it explores Brexit, devolution, the Fixed Term Parliament Act, parliamentary sovereignty, and House of Lords reform.
Combining clarity and authority, the author makes sense of a fascinating but sometimes impenetrable subject.
Table Of Contents
Chapter 1
Introduction
Chapter 2
Sources of the Constitution
Chapter 3
Constitutional Principles
Chapter 4
The Crown and Constitution
Chapter 5
Parliament
Chapter 6
Government and the Executive
Chapter 7
The Constitutional Role of the Courts
Chapter 8
Devolution and Local Governance
Chapter 9
The UK Constitution Facing the Future
Reviews
“Signposting is clear and helpful. Bibliographies are to the point…The prose is clear and authoritative. The reader’s tour of Britain’s constitutional history is efficient. The parliamentary process, including the passage of bills through Westminster, is described accessibly and with concision. The classic texts of constitutional analysis – Dicey, Bagehot, Jennings and the like – are introduced and their contribution summarised. And the radical reforms of the Blair administrations are recounted effectively…a valuable introductory survey.” –  Andrew MacDonald, The Law & Politics Book Review
“[Leyland’s] aim is to provide a concise, contextual and accessible introduction to the UK constitution. To those three Cs one might add a fourth: comparative…Leyland undoubtedly makes good on all four Cs. His written style is admirably clear, conversational and free from jargon. The chapter discussions are punchy and never too drawn out. The arguments and accounts of abstract principles are brought to life with highly topical examples from the UK and beyond…What may seem an unlikely additional plus, given the book’s aims, is its ambitious coverage. Just about everything one would expect to find in a much meatier, more advanced textbook is touched upon…It is the perfect companion for overseas students attempting to compare the UK constitution with their own. It will be of immense interest to anybody with a general interest in UK law, politics and history.” –  Stuart Lakin, Times Highes Education