ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with the law of the UK. The UK comprises Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with Great Britain being made up of England, Wales and Scotland. The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are Crown dependencies and are not part of the UK. The UK constitution is not contained in any single document but has evolved over the course of time. It was formed originally by customary law and later by the common law, then by statute and convention. The UK is a constitutional monarchy. It is governed by the Sovereign, who is both the Head of State and Head of Government. The organs of government are the legislature (Parliament), the executive and the judiciary. Although the powers of the monarchy are now very limited, being restricted primarily to advisory and ceremonial functions, some important duties that are reserved for the Sovereign remain. These include the summoning, the proroguing and the dissolving of Parliament, the appointment of ministers, including the Prime Minister, and the appointment of judges and certain senior officials.
