Today Boris Johnson made his first appearance in front of the House of Commons Liaison Select Committee. Boris Johnson has been criticised for not appearing in front the committee until today. However, the Prime Minister gave evidence for 1 hour and 38 minutes.
Continue readingToday at 16.00 Boris Johnson will appear in front of the Commons Liaison Committee for the first time since he became Prime Minister. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, he will do so remotely. A follow-up blog will consider his performance in detail.
Continue readingPrimary Legislation, Secondary Legislation and Statutory Instruments are all mechanisms through which law is enacted in the UK. It is clear that not all laws can be passed by full Acts of Parliament. There is simply not the parliamentary time for this. Indeed, this is borne out by the numbers. For example, in the 2017/2019 parliamentary session there were 70 Acts of Parliament passed. However, in just 2018 alone, 1387 statutory instruments (secondary legislation) were enacted. It is clear that most law in the UK is not made by Parliament directly.
Continue readingThe House of Lords is one of the oldest institutions in the world. Its origins lay in the early 11th century, when King’s of England consulted the Witan, a national council of nobles and bishops, that advised the King.
Warning: Before starting this book, access to an adequate dictionary is advised. Even as a child Bercow recalls how he was called a ‘walking dictionary’ and his tendency to use infrequently deployed words from the Chair is certainly repeated in this book!
In his decade as Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow became, without any doubt, the most controversial Speaker in modern parliamentary history. In the final quarter of his term as Speaker, it appeared that even any veneer of impartiality had began to fade. In this book the shackles of neutrality are completely off and the author appears to revel, at times far too much, in this newfound freedom.
Continue readingThe UK Supreme Court was established under the Constitutional Reform Act (2005). It replaced the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords as the highest court in the UK. However, it only began operating in 2009, with its first case adjudicated on in October 2009.
United States
In the United States, there is a clear line of succession should the President die or be incapacitated. A number of constitutional mechanisms and congressional laws exist to ensure the continuity of government. These include:
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