Codifying Conventions and Royal Prerogatives Essay

Dicey named ‘conventions’ the non-legal rules that regulate the way legal rules are applied . Prerogative powers are legal powers held by the crown but exercised by government without the authority from parliament. There is no doubt about their importance to the British constitution but their unwritten nature has caused disputes regarding their extent. Therefore some believe that conventions and prerogative powers should be codified. This could be in legal or non-legal form. Codification might clarify their existence and extent; neither form however will generate a more effective constitution. There are no legal consequences if a convention is breached. Courts may only recognize their existence but cannot enforce their principles. There†¦show more content†¦Parliament can however override and replace the prerogative by statute e.g. The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011. The Courts are capable of judicial review of these powers as was held unanimously in the GCHQ case. Only prerogative acts, which don’t involve high policy best determined by the executives will be reviewed. Since these implementations are in place it is unnecessary to codify prerogative powers. Any form of codification would only capture the situation at that fixed moment. The British constitution is constantly evolving and by nature does not allow for rigidity. If they were codified in statutory form, they would no longer exist. Not only is it difficult to determine their exact extent but the flexibility they provide would be lost. Flexibility would also be lost if codifications were in a non-legal form. The codification of conventions or prerogative powers is not only in paradox with their own definition and nature but is also unnecessary since â€Å"obedience of the rules would not become any more enforceable† The British constitution is flexible in nature, which has allowed for the development of this country over centuries without the need for a fully codified constitution. IShow MoreRelatedFotse2610 Words   |  11 Pagesthe Crown, under the royal prerogative. The royal prerogative ‘comprises residual powers, and functions which were originally associated with the monarch’,1 this means the powers that the Monarch still holds from the time that the monarchy was the true political power of the state. Pragmatically, Parliament was dissolved by the Crown solely on the advice of the Prime Minister, through a Royal Proclamation. The ability to do this, as a residual power of the royal prerogative, meant that there didRead MoreBenefits Of The Uk Retaining An Unwritten Constitution2458 Words   |  10 Pagesconstitution, as it essentially saw the first legal doctrine, which transferred the monarchy powers to the Parliament, as well as gave recognition to laws of individual rights , fair trials and the ideas of having a limited legislative powers. When codifying or drafting a Bill, parliament must take into account of the legal and political consequences. In a legal perspective, the UK constitution is acknowledged for its flexibility. The benefit of having a flexible constitution includes not requiring special