ABSTRACT
Constitutions provide the ‘rules of the game’ for states, determining how their political systems are allowed to operate. Much of the constitution is actually written down, in the form of acts of parliament relating to, for example, who can vote and how elections should be run. What Britain lacks is a complete codified document, like the US constitution. Walter Bagehot, the most famous authority on the British constitution, made a distinction between those antique, mostly monarchy related, aspects which were ‘dignified’ and the ‘efficient’ or ‘working’ aspects like the Commons, departments of state, the law courts. M. Moran notes the eclectic nature of the British constitution: normal statutes, super statutes, case law, common law, royal prerogative, conventions, institutional rules, and works of authority. Britain is unusual in having no special ‘entrenchment’ of its constitution: a simple majority vote can do it – many criticised the 52-48 2016 referendum vote as insufficient grounds for proceeding with Brexit.
