Conventions Script 2 PDF

Preview

Summary

A list of advanatges and disavantage of uk conventions....

Description

CRI TI SMSOFCONVENTI ONS Co n s t i t ut i o na lc o n v e n t i o nsa r egr e a ta tpr o v i d i n gfle xi b i l i t ybu tt h e ya r en o tl e g a l l y e nf o r c e a bl e , s oi fs ome t hi n gwe r et og owr on gi tc a nb eq u e s t i o ne dwh e t he ro rno tt he r ei s j u s t i c e . Asme nt i o ne db e f o r ei nt heCr o s s ma nda i r i e sc a s e , t h ea t t o r n e yg e n e r a lwa su ns u c c e s s f u li n e nf o r c i n gt hec o n v e nt i o no ft h ec ol l e c t i v ec a bi n e tr e s p o ns i b i l i t y . I nt hi sc a s eac o ns t i t u t i o na lc o n v e nt i o nwa sa p pl i e dbu ti g no r e d;a sac on s e q u e nc e , i no t h e r s i t ua t i on swed on o tkno who wt he ywi l la p pl ywhe np u tt ot h et e s to rwhe t he rt h e yc a nb e mo r a l l yj u s t i fie d .Duet ot h eu nc e r t a i n t yofc on v e n t i on sr a i s e st h eq u e s t i on st ha ts h ou l dt h e y b ec od i fie da n dg i v e nt h ef o r c eo fl a wt obeas ol u t i on . Fi r s t l y , wh a ti sme a n tb yt h et e r m‘ c o di fic a t i on ’o fc o n v e nt i on s ?Ac c o r d i n gt oMun r oi tc a n e i t h e rr e f e rt ot h ep r o c e s so fr e c o r d i n ga ndg a t h e r i n ga l lc o ns t i t u t i on a lc o n v e nt i o nst o g e t h e ri n o n eormo r ewr i t t e ndo c u me n t swh i c hwou l ds t i l lh a v en ol e g a le ffe c tbu two ul dpr o v i d e c l a r i t yo fc o n t e nt . Ane x a mp l eo ft hi si sa l r e a d yb e e np l a c e dwh i c hi st h eMi ni s t e r i a lc o de , i n t r o d u c e di n1 99 2 , i nwh i c hmo s ti mp o r t a ntc on v e n t i on sona c c e p t a bl emi ni s t e r i a lb e ha vi o r h a v eb e e nr e c o r d e di nas i n g l ed oc u me nti s s ue db yt h ec a b i ne toffic e . Al t e r na t i v e l y , c od i fic a t i o nc a nr e f e rt ot h ep r a c t i c eo fl e gi s l a t i n gt opl a c ec on v e n t i on sona s t a t u t o r yf o o t i n g , e i t he rc o l l e c t i v i t yo rona ni n di v i d ua lb a s i s . Thi sme a n st h a tt h ec on v e n t i on s wou l dc e a s et oe x i s tb e c a u s et h e yh a v eb e e nt u r n e di n t ol a w.

FORCODI FI CATI ONANDLAW I fc on v e n t i on swe r et obec o di fie di nt h efir s ti ns t a nc ei two ul dme a nt ha tt he ywo ul dbemuc h c l e a r e r , i two ul dp r o vi d ec e r t a i nt y ,wi t h o utl o s i n gi t sfle x i b i l i t y . No t on l ydo e si ts e tou tt h e r e l e v a n tc on v e n t i o n si nb l a c ka ndwh i t ebu ti tc a na l s ob ec h a n g e da ta n yt i meb yt h ep r i me mi n i s t e r ’ sr e q u e s t . I na d d i t i o n,c od i fic a t i o nme a n si two ul da v o i dmi s i n t e r p r e t a t i ona st h e ywo ul dbepr e c i s e l y f o r mu l a t e da n di twi l lb eop e nt oj ud i c i a li n t e r p r e t a t i onoft h ec on v e n t i o n swh e nn e c e s s a r y . I fc on v e n t i on swe r ema d ei nt ol a ws , t he r ewo ul db es omel e g a lr e dr e s sa g a i ns tt hee x e c ut i v e t h a tf a i l e dt oc o mp l ywi t hk e yc o n v e nt i o ns .

Pa u s e2s e c

AGAI NSTCODI FI CATI ON: Ho we v e r , t h e r ea r ema n ya r g ume n t sa g a i ns tc od i f y i n ga ndg i vi n gf or c eo fl a wt oc o n v e nt i o ns . Jenkins suggests that constitutional conventions bring flexibility to what would be a rigid legal frame work but also that the constitution can be kept up to date without changing the needs of government. However, in 2006, both the House of Lords and the House of Commons began to consider codifying certain conventions that affected the House of Lords and legislation. The ideas were rejected on the grounds that to codify conventions would be a contradiction, considering that their purpose is to provide flexibility and have the capacity to evolve. To codify conventions would be to reduce their adaptability as circumstances change and as society progresses; they shouldn’t be legally enforced and codified to preserve this advantage that our constitution already has. Se c o n dl y ,c od i f yi n gc o n v e n t i on swo ul dme a nt h a ta l loft h e mwo ul dha v et ob er e c o r d e d , ona s u b j e c tt os u b j e c tba s i sb e f or eb e i n ge n a c t e di nt ol a wb yPa r l i a me n t . I fpa r l i a me n tdi da g r e et o d ot h i sh u g et a s k , i two ul dme a nt h e ywi l lc o n s t a n t l yh a v et ofil li nt h ev oi d sofi n i t i a l e na c t me nt s , a ss o c i e t a lc ha n g eh a p p e n s , a l ln e wn o wc a l l e dc on v e n t i on swo ul dh a v et og o t h r o u g ht h epr o c e s so fb e c omi n gl a ws . Also UKh a sb e e npr o c e e d i n gwe l lf o rma n yy e a r swi t hj us tn o r ma lc on v e n t i on s .Ev e nt h o u g h c od i fie dc o n v e nt i o nsc a nb es e e na sawa yo ff u r t h e ri mp r o v e me nta ndc l a r i fic a t i o n, i tb e g st h e q u e s t i o no fwh ys h o ul di tbec h a n g e dn o w?Ge ne r a l l ys p e a ki n g , g o v e r nme nt sd or e s pe c t c on v e n t i on s , i ff u r t h e rc l a r i fic a t i o ni sn e e de ds o me t h i n gl i k et hemi ni s t e r i a lc o dec a nb ep ut i n t opl a c ef o rd i ffe r e n ta r e a s . Th eo t he ri s s u ewo ul dbene e dt ob ec on s i d e r e di swh e t he ra l lc o n v e nt i o nsi fc od i fie dwo ul d b ej u s t i c i a b l e ?Wo u l dt hec ou r t sc o ns i d e ra l lt hebr e a c h e so fc on v e n t i o n s ?An di fs owo ul d t hi sr e d uc ep a r l i a me n t sr ol ei ns c r u t i ni z i n gt h ee x e c u t i v e , i tc a nb ea r g u e dt ha tt h i swo ul d a ffe c te l e me n t so fp a r l i a me n t a r yp r i v i l e g e .

CONCLUSI ON: Tos umma r i e st hep r e s e n t a t i on , weh a v el o ok e da twh a tc o n v e nt i o nsi s ,-“ Ano n l e g a lr u l e We looked at what wh i c hi mp o s e sa nob l i g a t i o no nt h os ebo u ndb yc o n v e nt i o n. conventions exist such as the royal assent, appointment of prime minister and right to dissolve parliament etc…We also covered how these conventions are not enforced in courts but are open to political criticism. And to finish off we looked at some of the criticism of conventions, and whether or not codifying them or give them a force of law can provide a solution to those problems.

END

Th i swa ss e e ni nt heCr o s s ma nd i a r i e sc a s ei n19 6 7, t h ea t t or n e yg e ne r a lwa su n s u c c e s s f u li n e nf o r c i n gt hec o n v e nt i o no ft h ec ol l e c t i v ec a bi n e tr e s p o ns i b i l i t y . Lor dWi d g e r ys a i dt ha t“ wh a t e v e rt hel i mi t so ft hec on v e n t i on …t h e r ei snoo bl i g a t i o n e nf o r c e a bl ea tl a wt opr e v e n tt h epu b l i c a t i o no fCa b i ne tp a pe r s , e x c e p ti ne xt r e mec a s e swh e r e n a t i on a ls e c u r i t yi si n v ol v e d . ’Wi l lt hi sb es a i db e f o r e ? ?Li vv ywi l lb es a yi n gt h i s . .

Taking into account the arguments and nature of conventions, it is clear that the easiest approach to take is to leave them as they are and embrace the flexibility that they bring to our constitution. Ast h eUni t e dKi n g d o mi sade mo c r a c y ,i tc a nb es t r o n g l ya r g u e dt h a tc on s t i t ut i o na l c on v e nt i o nss h ou l dn o tb er e pl a c e db yl a ws , a st hec r u c i a lc o nc e p tofc o n v e n t i o nsi st ha t p u bl i ca ffa i r ss ho u l db ea c h i e v e di na c c o r d a n c ewi t ht h ed e s i r e so ft hema j or i t yoft h e e l e c t o r s . ? ? ?s h o ul dI ?...