The Constitution of the United Kingdom: A Contextual Analysis (Constitutional Systems of the World) - Softcover

Leyland, Peter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1849461600 ISBN 13: 9781849461603

Publisher: Hart Pub Ltd, 2012

Synopsis

This revised second edition of the The Constitution of the United Kingdom provides a topical outline of the principles and doctrines which make up the UK's Constitution. The chapters are written in sufficient detail so anyone coming to the subject for the first time can develop a clear and informed view of how the Constitution is arranged and how it works. The second edition of this acclaimed book has been extensively rewritten to take account of constitutional developments following the 2010 general election. The main themes include discussion of the history, sources, and nature of the UK's Constitution. Chapters deal with: constitutional principles * the role of the Crown * Parliament and the electoral system * government and the executive * the constitutional role of courts, including the protection of human rights * the territorial distribution of power between central, devolved, and local government * the European Union dimension. The book offers an analytical discussion of the development of the Constitution, its strengths and perceived weaknesses, and the on-going reforms aimed at modernizing the Constitution. (Series: Constitutional Systems of the World)

About this title

About the Author:

Peter Leyland is Professor of Public Law at London Metropolitan University. Both he and Andrew Harding have published extensively in the field of comparative public law and they are joint editors of the series: 'Constitutional Systems of the World'.

Review:

[Leyland's] aim is to provide a concise, contextual and accessible introduction to the UK constitution. To those three Cs one might add a fourth: comparative...Leyland undoubtedly makes good on all four Cs. His written style is admirably clear, conversational and free from jargon. The chapter discussions are punchy and never too drawn out. The arguments and accounts of abstract principles are brought to life with highly topical examples from the UK and beyond...What may seem an unlikely additional plus, given the book's aims, is its ambitious coverage. Just about everything one would expect to find in a much meatier, more advanced textbook is touched upon...It is the perfect companion for overseas students attempting to compare the UK constitution with their own. It will be of immense interest to anybody with a general interest in UK law, politics and history. (Stuart Lakin Times Higher Education)

Review of the 1st Edition
...Leyland has produced a slim guide to the constitution of the United Kingdom that is both highly readable and impressively thorough. It deserves a place on undergraduate reading lists as a precursor to a more theoretical examination, and given a very reasonable price one hopes that many students will feel able to purchase their own copy. They will certainly find it worth their while. (C. J. S. Knight The Cambridge Law Journal, 66 (3))

Review of the 1st Edition
...provides an excellent discussion of the legal basis of parliamentary sovereignty. (Alexandra Kelso Parliamentary Affairs, Vol. 61 No. 3)

Review of the 1st Edition
Signposting is clear and helpful. Bibliographies are to the point...The prose is clear and authoritative. The reader's tour of Britain's constitutional history is efficient. The parliamentary process, including the passage of bills through Westminster, is described accessibly and with concision. The classic texts of constitutional analysis - Dicey, Bagehot, Jennings and the like - are introduced and their contribution summarised. And the radical reforms of the Blair administrations are recounted effectively...a valuable introductory survey. (Andrew McDonald The Law & Politics Book Review, Vol. 18 No.11)

About this edition

• Publisher: Hart Pub Ltd
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1849461600
• ISBN 13: 9781849461603
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 333