What is the Constitution of the United Kingdom?
Q: What is the Constitution of the United Kingdom?
A: The Constitution of the United Kingdom is a set of laws and rules that govern how the country is organized and protect basic rights and freedoms for its people.
Q: Is the UK's constitution written in one single document?
A: No, it is not written in one single document like many other countries' constitutions are. It is not completely written down at all. Some parts can be found in writing, such as the Magna Carta of 1215 and Bill of Rights Act 1689, while other parts are considered common law made up from decisions by judges over hundreds of years.
Q: What do some people call the UK's constitution?
A: Some people refer to it as an "unwritten" or "de facto" constitution because most British laws and rules are written as statutes, court judgments, law of equity or treaties rather than being contained within one single document.
Q: Is it correct to call it "unwritten" or "de facto"?
A: No, because most of the constitution is written down in this way it is not technically correct to call it "unwritten" or "de facto". However, these words are still used.
Q: How does the UK's Constitution differ from other countries'?
A: The UK's Constitution differs from other countries' constitutions in that it does not have any higher authority than any other law in the country; meaning that government can change it just by passing a new Act.
Q: Who creates laws for Britain?
A: Laws for Britain come from Parliament of the United Kingdom.
