The British constitution and monarchy 英國憲法和王室

1、The British Constitution Before 1066: Great Council Between 1066 and 1215: the king ruled alone. In 1215:Magna Carta（大憲章） In 1264:the British constitution has evolved. In 1688: William and Mary became the first constitutional monarchs in Britain. In 1689: Bill of Right There is no single document as

2、 the British Constitution. Much of the British Constitution is written down, but it is not systematically codified into single document. Only Israel(以色列） and New Zealand are comparable to Britain in having no single constitution document. British governance today is based upon the terms and conditio

3、ns of the constitution. Three Parts of The British ConstitutionThe British Constitutionstatutory law(成文法）common law（判例法）（判例法）conventions（習(xí)慣法（習(xí)慣法)law passed by ParliamentEstablished through common practiceRules and practices which do not exist legally Statutory Law: Statutory law is the most importan

4、t and takes precedence over the others if there is a clash. Statutes are laws that have actuallybeen passed by Parliament. For example,the Magna Carta(1215),the Bill of Rights(1689), the Reform Act(1832), the European communities(Amendment) Act(1986). Common Law Common law has never been precisely d

5、efined. It is deduced from customs or legal precedents and is interpreted in courts case by judges. Coventions Conventions are rules and practices which are not legally enforceable, but are regarded as vital to the working of the government. The Monarchy Constitutional monarchy began after the Glori

6、ous Revolution in 1688. The monarch seems to have an unlimited power, but practically everything he or she does is limited by law and Parliament.The succession to the thone is not decided by the royal family alone. According to the Act of Settlement(1701), there are many rules for the succession to

7、the throne. There is little chance for a Cathlic to become king or queen. Only the protestant descendants are eligible. The sons of sovereign and their descendants have precedence over daughters. The daughter takes precedence over descendants of the sovereigns brother. In both cases seniority enjoys

8、 precedence. The eldest son of monarch: Prince of Wales The eldest daughter of monarch: the princess royal The wife of the prince of wales: Princess of Wales The queens husband:the Duke of Edinburgh The cost of the monarch is very large.The civil list(王室?？?payment covers the salaries of the household staff, travel, entertaining, and public engagements at home and abroad. The monarch has long been regarded with considerable respect and affection by many subjects. The monarch is above party politics,