Joseph Crampin: Precedent for Delaying Royal Assent: A Response to Professor Finnis
The ‘Cooper-Letwin Act’ (European Union Withdrawal (No 5) Act 2019) may yet come to be known as the constitutional crisis that wasn’t. But, the advocacy by some of the Government’s … Continue reading
David Howarth: Westminster versus Whitehall: Two Incompatible Views of the Constitution
Lawyers like to make as much sense as possible of the material in front of them, transforming it, if they can, from a jumble of decisions and remarks into a … Continue reading
John Finnis: Royal Assent – A Reply to Mark Elliott
I agree with Mark Elliott in finding my April 1 argument about prorogation and assent astonishing and monstrous, once the argument’s important premises have been omitted, as he has omitted … Continue reading
Robert Craig: Executive Versus Legislature in the UK – A Response to Mark Elliott and Tom Poole
For constitutional lawyers, the Brexit Santa Claus has shimmied down the chimney once again. This post is a response to Mark Elliott who recently commented on an article by John … Continue reading
Robert Craig: Could the Government Advise the Queen to Refuse Royal Assent to a Backbench Bill?
Introduction As is well known, the Government’s Withdrawal Agreement was voted down in Parliament last week by 230 votes in a ‘meaningful vote’ mandated under s 13(1) of European Withdrawal … Continue reading
David Howarth: How to Change the Government Without Causing a General Election
The Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011 removed the ability of Prime Ministers to call early general elections and handed that power to Parliament. Parliament has two options: a motion supported … Continue reading
Jack Simson Caird: Brexit and the Meaningful Vote: Down the Procedural Raab-it Hole?
Brexit has a knack for producing constitutional mountains out of procedural molehills. Last Wednesday, the House of Commons Procedure Committee published a letter from the Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab along … Continue reading
Jack Simson Caird: Parliament’s Right to a ‘Meaningful Vote’: Amendments to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill
On Tuesday 12 June 2018, the Government will ask the House of Commons to reject the Lords’ meaningful vote amendment to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill (Lords Amendment 19). If the … Continue reading
Meg Russell and Daniel Gover: The Lords, Financial Privilege and the EU Referendum Franchise
Cross-posted from the Constitution Unit blog. The House of Lords amended the government’s European Union Referendum Bill in order to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in the referendum. Last … Continue reading
Gavin Phillipson: Voting on Military Action in Syria: A Reply
Dr Veronika Fikfak and Dr Hayley J. Hooper make some valuable points in their two part post on today’s vote on whether to expand British military action against ISIL to … Continue reading
