Lesson 2 of 10

The British constitution

The UK does not have one single document containing its whole constitution. Constitutional rules come from legislation, court decisions, conventions, and the roles of institutions. This arrangement developed over centuries rather than being created all at once.

The lesson

The UK constitution is not contained in one single document. It is made up of laws passed by Parliament, court decisions, conventions, and the roles and relationships of institutions such as Parliament, government, and the courts.

The arrangements developed over centuries. The constitution is commonly described as “unwritten” because its written rules and conventions are spread across different sources.

More on this topic

The UK constitution is not set out in one single codified document. It draws on Acts of Parliament, court decisions, conventions, and other sources. Conventions are established practices; they are not all enforceable in the same way as an Act.

The UK is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. Parliament makes laws and scrutinises the government; ministers direct government policy; courts apply and interpret the law independently. These are related institutions with different jobs.