What is a constitution?
Q: What is a constitution?
A: A constitution is a special type of law document that outlines how the government of a country or state should work. It includes details on how leaders are chosen and for how long, how laws are made and changed, who has the right to vote, and what rights citizens have.
Q: What is the Rule of Law?
A: The Rule of Law states that all people must obey the law and be subject to its authority, including those in positions of power such as government officials. This means that governments must abide by their own constitutions and not abuse their power.
Q: How does the UK's Constitution differ from other countries'?
A: The UK's constitution is not written down in one single document like many other countries' are; instead it consists of written documents such as the Magna Carta and Bill of Rights Act 1689 along with common law decisions made by judges over hundreds of years. Therefore some people refer to it as an unwritten or de facto constitution.
Q: Who began writing constitutions?
A: The United States began this trend in 1787 when they wrote their own Constitution after gaining independence from Britain.
Q: How long is the Indian Constitution?
A: The Indian Constitution is currently the longest ever written constitution in the world; it contains 448 Articles, 12 Schedules, 5 appendices, and 98 amendments.
