The UK Constitution

The United Kingdom has no written constitution. Therefore in contrast with most other countries it is not possible to point to a text and say "this is our constitution", nor is there any doctrine of the supremacy of the constitution over other legislation, nor any constitutional court, nor any doctrine of the separation of powers.

Thus the elements of the United Kingdom constitution have to be sought out by consulting any or all of five different sources. This source may be a statute, i.e. an Act of Parliament. It may be a judicial pronouncement on the meaning of certain words in the statute. Or else the source may be a principle of the Common Law - from which certain basic principles are derived including freedom of expression, assembly and association. Then there is the body of law that relates to the status and operation of Parliament and its members. Finally there is a fifth element which is not written down at all: these are the conventions of the Constitution, such as the convention that Parliament must meet at least once a year, that the sovereign does not attend Cabinet meetings, and that ministers who lose the confidence of the House of Commons on a major issue must resign. The British Constitution is unusual in having so many and such important conventions.