সাংবিধানিক আইন

Parliamentary Sovereignty — Parliament can make or unmake any law; no body can override or set aside an Act of Parliament; and no Parliament can bind its successors (A.V. Dicey). This remains the dominant constitutional doctrine, though its absolute nature has been questioned (R (Jackson) v Attorney General [2005]; R (Miller) v Secretary of State [2017]).

The Rule of Law — Everyone, including the government, is subject to the law. A.V. Dicey identified three elements: no punishment without law, equality before the law, and constitutional rights derived from judicial decisions. Lord Bingham's eight principles in 'The Rule of Law' (2010) provide a modern articulation.

Separation of Powers — The three branches of government (legislature, executive, judiciary) should be institutionally and functionally separate. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 reformed the role of the Lord Chancellor, created the Supreme Court (separated from the House of Lords), and established the Judicial Appointments Commission.

Constitutional Conventions — Non-legal rules that regulate the conduct of those in public office. Key conventions include: the Salisbury Convention (Lords do not block manifesto commitments), collective ministerial responsibility, individual ministerial responsibility, and the Sewel Convention (Parliament will not normally legislate on devolved matters without consent).

Royal Prerogative — Residual powers of the Crown exercised by ministers, including foreign affairs, defence, mercy, and (formerly) prorogation of Parliament. Prerogative powers are subject to judicial review (GCHQ case [1985]; R (Miller) v The Prime Minister [2019] — prorogation was justiciable and unlawful).

Devolution — The Scotland Act 1998, Government of Wales Act 2006, and Northern Ireland Act 1998 transferred legislative competence to devolved legislatures. The UK Parliament retains sovereignty but by convention does not legislate on devolved matters without consent (the Sewel Convention, though not legally enforceable — R (Miller) v Secretary of State [2017]).

Constitutional Statutes — Certain Acts have constitutional significance and cannot be impliedly repealed (Thoburn v Sunderland City Council [2002] — the 'metric martyrs' case). These include Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights 1689, the European Communities Act 1972, the HRA 1998, and the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.

Sovereignty of Parliament vs. Rule of Law — The tension between parliamentary sovereignty and the rule of law remains a live debate. Some judges have suggested that fundamental rights might limit parliamentary sovereignty in extreme cases (obiter in R (Jackson) [2005] per Lord Steyn; AXA General Insurance v Lord Advocate [2011]).