Celebrating humanity's flourishing through the spread of capitalism and the rule of law
02 Apr 2025 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, economic history, liberalism, Public Choice Tags: British constitutional law
In this guest post, originally published on the Victorian Commons website, Professor Simon Morgan of Leeds Beckett University, the principal investigator on the Letters of Richard Cobden Online resource, shows how Cobden’s letters can shed light on his role as a constituency MP. The publication in 2023 of the Letters of Richard Cobden Online, an open access database […]
Richard Cobden and his constituencies
19 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in law and economics, politics, Public Choice Tags: British constitutional law, British politics
Barely 24 hours after Labour’s victory at the polls, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s top team of MPs began to line the path to No. 10 Downing Street, hoping to have their shadow portfolios translated into long-awaited ministerial roles. First among the parade of MPs was Angela Rayner, who was appointed Secretary of State for Housing, […]
Robert Swetlic: For Constitutional Clarity, Should Angela Rayner be Named First Secretary of State?
05 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in law and economics Tags: British constitutional law
The Labour Party has won a resounding victory over the Conservatives with exit polls suggesting that they could win as many as 405 seats. While results are still coming in, Rishi Sunak has already conceded to Sir Keir Starmer. So what comes next? Sunak will likely go to the Palace sometime on Friday to tender […]
The King, Keir Starmer, and the new Labour government
30 Jun 2024 Leave a comment
in economic history, economics of bureaucracy, law and economics, Public Choice, public economics Tags: British constitutional law
In 2021 the then Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland QC MP cited the principle of legality as an example of an aspect of public law that might ‘take on a life of [its] own, and lead to the courts overreaching.’ In the simplest terms, the principle of legality is a common law rule of statutory interpretation […]
Hayley Hooper: Historical Origins of the ‘Principle of Legality’ in British Public Law
05 Jun 2024 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, law and economics Tags: British constitutional law, British politics, Scotland
*Editors’ Note: This post is part of the ‘Unwritten Constitutional Norms and Principles Blog Series’* Throughout the life of devolution, the courts appear to have diverged on how to properly determine the scope and limits of devolved lawmaking power, and the extent to which norms and principles not expressly contained in the text of the […]
Nicholas Kilford: Interpreting The Devolution Statutes
04 Jun 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics Tags: British constitutional law
For the first time, by way of the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act (“the Act”), Parliament has legislated to quash criminal convictions. In this post I will argue that, no matter how understandable, indeed laudable, the intention behind this legislation, in its haste to offer a speedy and comprehensive correction to mass injustice, Parliament has crossed […]
Stephen Tierney: The Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024: Necessary remedy or unwarranted interference with judicial independence?
20 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in law and economics, property rights Tags: British constitutional law
In a recent comment on the Government’s Rwanda Bill and on speculations about an unprecedented strike down by the Supreme Court, Professor Mark Elliott asked a question that has been on many UK public lawyers’ minds lately: “Are we headed for a constitutional crisis?” This question, to be sure, is not new. However, with a […]
Raffael N. Fasel: Ouster Clauses and the Silent Constitutional Crisis
20 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, currency unions, economic history, law and economics, macroeconomics Tags: British constitutional law, British politics, European Union
The upheaval of the UK constitution from 2016 onwards has been associated with a host of individuals, from David Cameron to Boris Johnson to Dominic Cummings, who have received the significant bulk of academic attention in recent years. And yet, another individual has had a substantial impact upon the UK constitution during this time: Nigel […]
Brian Christopher Jones: Nigel Farage and the UK Constitution
17 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, economics of bureaucracy, Public Choice Tags: British constitutional law
[This is the first in a series of posts that will look at the key institutions of the British constitution. A version of this particular post first appeared on my personal blog.] Americans don’t really understand the British Monarchy. Our pundits often portray the Queen as a powerless figurehead who does little more than cut ribbons and unveil plaques. […]
Constitution 101: How Powerful Is The Queen?
14 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, economic history, law and economics Tags: British constitutional law, British history, British politics
King James II-VII’s departure during the Glorious Revolution significantly shifted the balance of power in favour of Prince Willem III of Orange, who took control of the provisional government on December 28th. Elections were held in early January for a Convention Parliament, which assembled on January 29th. The Whigs had a slight majority in the […]
February 13, 1689: The Proclamation of King William III and Queen Mary II as Joint Monarchs of England
08 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, economic history Tags: British constitutional law, British history
Prince Albert spent his early life in the shadow of his elder brother, Prince Edward, the heir apparent. Albert attended naval college as a teenager and served in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force during the First World War. In 1920, he was made Duke of York. He married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923. […]
February 6, Death of King George VI of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Part II.
30 Jan 2024 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, law and economics Tags: British constitutional law
The House of Lords is now considering the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill that was passed by the Commons back in September. It would repeal the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 and restore the pre-2011 status quo whereby the Sovereign dissolved Parliament at the request of the Prime Minister. Regular readers of my blog will […]
Some Thoughts On The Dissolution And Calling Of Parliament Bill
03 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, law and economics Tags: British constitutional law
There’s an interesting detail tucked away near the end of the Letters Patent signifying Royal Assent to the Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland Bill. The final clause reads “WITNESS Ourself at Kenya on the second day of November in the second year of Our Reign,” meaning the King signed the document while on a state […]
Counsellors Of State In The Age Of Remote Work
15 Jan 2023 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, economic history, Public Choice Tags: British constitutional law, British history, constitutional law
John Wilkes is one of the more scandalous figures in the 18th-century. His publication of North Briton Number 45, and Essay on Woman, had both the Commons and the Lords denounce him. Parliament began to build a case against Wilkes. Dr Robin Eagles, editor of our House of Lords 1715-1790 project, reflects on how Parliament […]
How to expel an MP from Parliament: The ejection of John Wilkes in 1764
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