Product Description

This is the first book in the new series Constitutional Systems of the World, and as such launches what is set to become an invaluable resource for all students and teachers of constitutional law and politics. The book provides an outline of the principles and doctrines which make up the United Kingdom constitution. The chapters are written in sufficient detail for anyone coming to the subject for the first time to develop a clear and informed view of how the constitution is arranged and how it works. The main themes include: a description of the history, sources and nature of the constitution; later 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 and the European Union dimension. Secondly, the book offers an analytical discussion of the development of the constitution, its strengths and perceived weaknesses, and the on-going reforms aimed at modernising the UK constitution. The book is written in an accessible style, with an emphasis on clarity and concision. It includes a list of references for further reading at the end of each chapter.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #170706 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 239 pages

Review
...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), November 2007 ...provides an excellent discussion of the legal basis of parliamentary sovereignty... Alexandra Kelso Parliamentary Affairs Vol. 61 No. 3, 2008 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 (November 2008)

About the Author
Peter Leyland is Professor of Law at the London Metropolitan University.