This is the 2nd report from the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee (HCP 436, session 2010-11, ISBN 9780215554772), and examines the Fixed Terms Parliament Bill (HCB 64, session 2001-11, ISBN 9780215546296). The principle behind the Fixed-Term Parliaments Bill is that it is wrong that a Prime Minister should be able to time a general election to his own partisan advantage. Due to the speed of the Bill being expedited through Parliament, there has been no prior consultation on pre-legislation, which the Committee believes the issue deserves. If the Bill is enacted, the Committee expects that future Parliaments would run for their full fixed term, and that this will become an unremarkable aspect of our modern democracy. The proposed requirement for a super-majority in the House of Commons to vote for an early general election is novel for the United Kingdom, and the consequences of the provisions for confidence motions contained in the Bill are uncertain. The report proposes two options that the House may wish to explore as possible ways of simplifying the provisions in the Bill for ending the fixed term prematurely: (i) a super-majority might not be necessary if a Parliament following an early general election lasted for only as long as the remainder of the term of the previous Parliament; (ii) a super-majority could be dispensed with if an early general election could be called only with cross-party agreement. Dispensing with the super-majority could also arguably avoid the need for separate provision for an early general election where no government could be formed that commanded the confidence of the House. The Clerk of the House believes that the Bill as currently drafted could allow the courts to question aspects of the House's internal proceedings.

This report considers the Fixed-term Parliaments Bill which would remove the Prime Minister's power to call an election at the time of his choosing, and sets a five year fixed term, subject to the possibility of early dissolution following a vote by the House of Commons. It examines the key issues of the Bill's principals as well as the process by which it was brought forward. The Committee takes the view that the origins and content of the Bill owe more to short-term considerations than to a mature assessment of enduring constitutional principles or sustained public demand. In the view of the majority of the Committee, the shift from a five year maximum to five year norm would inconsistent with the Government's stated aim of making the legislature more accountable; with existing constitutional practice; and with the practice of the devolved institutions and the clear majority in international legislatures. However the Committee does accept that an elected government should have a full term in which to develop their policies and take their legislative programme through Parliament. It considers a four year term should be adopted for any fixed-term arrangement at Westminster. Potential date clashes with elections to the devolved institutions should also be avoided. Some form of safety valve which would allow for an early election in circumstances such as the government losing the confidence of the Commons or where a political or economic crisis has affected the country is also necessary. The report also makes several specific recommendations for amendments for the Bill.

Following the passage of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, the date of the next general election has been fixed by statute for 7 May 2015. Greater certainty about the date of the next general election has created a unique opportunity to consider how best this final year can be spent, and the Committee has heard that there is scope both to enhance the quality of public policy debate, and also to better prepare for the next Parliament. Key recommendations are: that this final year be used by the Government, Parliament and political parties to consider some of the long-term issues that will need to be addressed in the next Parliament; arrangements for pre-election contacts between the Civil Service and Opposition be formalised and authorised automatically in the final year of a Parliament, and that the Cabinet Manual should be updated to that effect; that parties work to develop a consensus, before the next general election, on how party policy could most effectively be costed ahead of future general elections - this would improve both policy formation and debate ahead of a general election. Achieving this will require active engagement from the Government, parliamentarians and political parties, and the Committee hopes they will all appreciate the potential for a constructive year ahead of the next general election, and support the recommendations.

Provides an accessible, discursive, and scholarly treatment of the key contemporary issues in UK Public Law.

The Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee was established in June 2010 to consider political and constitutional reform. Over the last five years the Committee has scrutinised the Government's substantial programme of political and constitutional reform - which included fixing the term of a Parliament, bringing forward proposals for recalling MPs, establishing a register of third party lobbyists and implementing Individual Electoral Registration. The establishment of a dedicated select committee to consider these matters has brought additional parliamentary scrutiny to a substantial part of the Government's programme. Should the next Government plan to take forward constitutional reform, a select committee be established to examine the Government's proposals, to keep the progress of any political and constitutional reform under regular review, and to continue the work this Committee has undertaken. The Committee has also highlighted the extent to which it has engaged the public with it's work through consultations and increased use of social media, online surveys and informal events. This public engagement is one of it's greatest innovations, and something which it encourages other committees to adopt in the future

The third edition of Parliament and the Law presents a timely and valuable resource covering recent developments. Brexit, the #MeToo movement, and the COVID-19 pandemic all presented Parliament with a series of challenges. This edition includes new chapters on Brexit, legislation and scrutiny, the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster treaty scrutiny, votes of confidence and the Fixed Term Parliament Act, and the financing of Parliament. This is a multi-disciplinary work authored by lawyers, political scientists, parliamentary officials, and practitioners and is supported by the Study of Parliament Group (SPG).

Unlocking Constitutional and Administrative Law provides an indispensable foundation in this core law curriculum subject, ensuring that you grasp the main concepts with ease. Containing accessible explanations in clear and precise terms that are easy to understand, it provides an excellent foundation for learning and revising Constitutional and Administrative Law. The information is clearly presented in a logical structure and the following features support learning, helping you to advance with confidence: Clear aims and objectives at the beginning of each chapter set out the skills and knowledge you will need to get to grips with the subject Key Facts summaries throughout each chapter allow you to progressively build and consolidate your knowledge Diagrams to aid memory and understanding Cases and judgments are highlighted to help you find them and add them to your notes quickly End-of-chapter summaries provide a useful checklist for each topic Frequent activities and self-test questions are included so you can put your knowledge into practice Glossary of legal terminology clarifies important definitions. This edition has been fully updated to include discussion of recent changes, issues and developments since the last edition, including an expanded section on Brexit, proposed changes to Judicial review, developments in Wales, Ireland and Scotland, recent Bills raising issues concerning the rule of law, and a new chapter on the constitutional impact of COVID-19.

Places the constitutional framework of the State in its historical and political context and provides for the first time a detailed analysis of all the provisions of the Constitution Act 1902 (NSW) including their legislative history and examples of their use.

Cases & Materials on Constitutional & Administrative Law provides students with a comprehensive selection of legal resources to accompany their studies. Extracts from leading cases, academic works, and political documents are drawn together with incisive author commentary and thought-provoking questions to highlight the historical debates and ongoing development of the subject. The authors take a critical look at the doctrines of constitutional law and the principles of administrative law, showing how the constitution operates in relation to Parliament, the Executive, and the citizen. Online Resource Centre This book is supported by an Online Resource Centre providing a wide range of extra resources to further support students in their studies, including: - Updates in constitutional and administrative law - An extensive range of web links - An interactive timeline of significant public law events throughout history - 'Oxford News Now'- a live feed on topical public law issues, sourced from news websites such as the BBC and Guardian

Like the immensely successful previous edition of this highly respected work, this new edition has been jointly prepared and thorough updated by Colin Turpin and Adam Tomkins. It takes fully into account constitutional developments under the coalition government and examines the most recent case law of the Supreme Court, the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. While it includes extensive material and commentary on contemporary constitutional practice, the book covers the historical traditions and the continuity of the British constitution as well as the current tide of change. Designed principally for law students, the book includes substantial extracts from parliamentary and other political sources, as well as from legislation and case law, making it ideal for politics and government students. With its fresh design it provides a full yet accessible account of the British constitution at a fascinating moment in its ongoing development.