Reshaping the British Constitution: Essays in Political Interpretation (Contemporary Political Studies)

Reshaping the British Constitution provides a vigorous critique of the deformations of Britain's customary constitution and why it could not effectively stem the growth of a centralized political authority. On this foundation it provides a critical description and assessment of recent constitutional changes including devolution, House of Lords reform, human rights and the encroachment of the European Union. Nevil Johnson suggests that since the reform programme has rested on pragmatic political expediency rather than on coherent thinking about constitutional principles, it is likely to strengthen the familiar deformations of the customary constitution. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 12 Introduction......Page 14 Part I The Underpinnings of a Customary Constitution......Page 20 The constitution as practice......Page 22 Customary and codified constitutions: is Britain so exceptional?......Page 24 The underpinnings of liberal constitutionalism......Page 28 Some implications of a customary constitution......Page 31 Notes......Page 33 Consent and rights......Page 34 The rise and fall of negative liberty......Page 38 Authority and sovereignty......Page 41 A parliamentary executive......Page 44 Weakening the foundations of the customary constitution......Page 47 Notes......Page 51 A heritage of diffused powers: local self-government......Page 53 England's partners within the United Kingdom......Page 57 Pluralism harnessed to public purposes......Page 59 No theory of the State, but more power for the central government......Page 61 Notes......Page 65 Part II Institutions and Practices under the Customary Constitution......Page 68 Constitutional monarchy......Page 70 Symbolic and representational roles......Page 74 The Crown as a legal construct......Page 75 Crown and Church......Page 80 The churches 'established by law'......Page 83 The monarchy, the Church and the moral life of the nation......Page 87 A rationalisation of monarchy?......Page 88 Notes......Page 89 A parliamentary executive......Page 92 From cabinet government to prime-ministerial government......Page 94 Responsibility and accountability in constitutional theory......Page 98 Accountability at large: the impulse to blame......Page 103 The constitutional status of civil servants......Page 107 The discretion of ministers as a centralising dynamic......Page 110 Notes......Page 113 6 Parliament: the Foundation of Legitimacy......Page 115 The House of Commons and the function of control......Page 116 The function of legislating......Page 119 From administrative to political scrutiny......Page 124 Institutional differentiation within the House of Commons......Page 130 The House of Lords......Page 137 What survives of sovereignty and government in and through Parliament?......Page 142 Notes......Page 149 The independence of the judiciary......Page 153 The judiciary as interpreter of the common law......Page 157 Recognition of a domain of public law......Page 162 The judiciary in public life and popular involvement in administering justice......Page 166 Notes......Page 169 Part III Reshaping the Constitution......Page 172 The reform agenda......Page 174 The rhetoric of reform: democratisation and modernisation......Page 179 Discarding history and tradition......Page 181 Notes......Page 185 Devolution models: the scheme for Scotland......Page 186 Devolution model 2: devising a scheme for Northern Ireland......Page 195 Devolution model 3: a qualified scheme for Wales......Page 201 The models of devolution compared......Page 206 Further steps towards decentralisation in the reform programme......Page 212 Notes......Page 219 10 Reform at the Centre: the Primacy of Politics......Page 222 Reform in Parliament: the House of Lords......Page 223 Reforming the House of Commons......Page 229 The political executive: presidential pretensions......Page 236 Politicians and officials: the weakening of the civil service ethos......Page 241 Notes......Page 248 From 'liberties and privileges' to a code of rights......Page 250 Incorporation of the European convention of rights into British law......Page 253 The initial impact of the Human Rights Act 1998......Page 258 Human rights decisions: some illustrative examples of judicial conclusions......Page 261 Innovation and continuity in interpreting rights......Page 264 Proposals for further institutional reforms affecting the judiciary......Page 268 Notes......Page 271 From the European Communities to a European Union......Page 274 The impact on discretion in policy and law-making......Page 277 British law and EU law: who interprets what?......Page 281 Enlargement of the EU and the prospect of a constitution for Europe......Page 285 Playing down the consequences of 'ever closer union'......Page 291 Notes......Page 294 The nature of the process of constitutional reform......Page 297 From precedent and history to performance and the future......Page 299 How is the form of government to be designated?......Page 301 Pluralism, diffusion of powers, checks and balances......Page 309 The rule of law and the rights of citizens......Page 313 The erosion of self-government......Page 317 Reshaping the constitution to suit the needs of elective dictatorship......Page 321 Notes......Page 328 Political institutions and politics......Page 331 Church and State......Page 332 D......Page 334 L......Page 335 P......Page 336 W......Page 337 Cover 1 Contents 8 Preface 12 Introduction 14 Part I The Underpinnings of a Customary Constitution 20 1 Constitutions and Constitutionalism 22 The constitution as practice 22 Customary and codified constitutions: is Britain so exceptional? 24 The underpinnings of liberal constitutionalism 28 Some implications of a customary constitution 31 Notes 33 2 Foundations and Principles 34 Consent and rights 34 The rise and fall of negative liberty 38 Authority and sovereignty 41 A parliamentary executive 44 Weakening the foundations of the customary constitution 47 Notes 51 3 Institutional Pluralism and Subsidiarity 53 A heritage of diffused powers: local self-government 53 England's partners within the United Kingdom 57 Pluralism harnessed to public purposes 59 No theory of the State, but more power for the central government 61 Notes 65 Part II Institutions and Practices under the Customary Constitution 68 4 Symbols of Unity: Monarchy and Religious Establishment 70 Constitutional monarchy 70 Symbolic and representational roles 74 The Crown as a legal construct 75 Crown and Church 80 The churches 'established by law' 83 The monarchy, the Church and the moral life of the nation 87 A rationalisation of monarchy? 88 Notes 89 5 A Parliamentary Government: the Executive Power 92 A parliamentary executive 92 From cabinet government to prime-ministerial government 94 Responsibility and accountability in constitutional theory 98 Accountability at large: the impulse to blame 103 The constitutional status of civil servants 107 The discretion of ministers as a centralising dynamic 110 Notes 113 6 Parliament: the Foundation of Legitimacy 115 The House of Commons and the function of control 116 The function of legislating 119 From administrative to political scrutiny 124 Institutional differentiation within the House of Commons 130 The House of Lords 137 What survives of sovereignty and government in and through Parliament? 142 Notes 149 7 The Judiciary in the Constitution 153 The independence of the judiciary 153 The judiciary as interpreter of the common law 157 Recognition of a domain of public law 162 The judiciary in public life and popular involvement in administering justice 166 Notes 169 Part III Reshaping the Constitution 172 8 The Customary Constitution in the Melting-pot 174 The reform agenda 174 The rhetoric of reform: democratisation and modernisation 179 Discarding history and tradition 181 Notes 185 9 Institutional Innovation: Devolution and Decentralisation 186 Devolution models: the scheme for Scotland 186 Devolution model 2: devising a scheme for Northern Ireland 195 Devolution model 3: a qualified scheme for Wales 201 The models of devolution compared 206 Further steps towards decentralisation in the reform programme 212 Notes 219 10 Reform at the Centre: the Primacy of Politics 222 Reform in Parliament: the House of Lords 223 Reforming the House of Commons 229 The political executive: presidential pretensions 236 Politicians and officials: the weakening of the civil service ethos 241 Notes 248 11 Human Rights and the Reinforcement of the Judiciary 250 From 'liberties and privileges' to a code of rights 250 Incorporation of the European convention of rights into British law 253 The initial impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 258 Human rights decisions: some illustrative examples of judicial conclusions 261 Innovation and continuity in interpreting rights 264 Proposals for further institutional reforms affecting the judiciary 268 Notes 271 12 The European Union: Towards a European Constitution 274 From the European Communities to a European Union 274 The impact on discretion in policy and law-making 277 British law and EU law: who interprets what? 281 Enlargement of the EU and the prospect of a constitution for Europe 285 Playing down the consequences of 'ever closer union' 291 Notes 294 13 Beyond Custom and Tradition: the Politics of 'What Works' 297 The nature of the process of constitutional reform 297 From precedent and history to performance and the future 299 How is the form of government to be designated? 301 Pluralism, diffusion of powers, checks and balances 309 The rule of law and the rights of citizens 313 The erosion of self-government 317 Reshaping the constitution to suit the needs of elective dictatorship 321 Notes 328 Bibliography 331 Political institutions and politics 331 Law and the constitution 332 Theory and history 332 Church and State 332 Index 334 A 334 B 334 C 334 D 334 E 335 F 335 G 335 H 335 I 335 J 335 K 335 L 335 M 336 N 336 O 336 P 336 R 337 S 337 T 337 U 337 V 337 W 337 The British constitution is an elusive business, usually dissolving into mere politics when people try to come to grips with it. Reshaping the British Constitution is a critical, sceptical study that seeks to address the issue by first discussing what is involved in having a constitution and, in particular, a customary uncodified constitution like that of Britain. After recalling the almost forgotten tradition of dispersal of powers and checks and balances, Nevil Johnson then turns to the contemporary working of the British constitution, surveying the Monarchy and religious establishment, the central Government and its powers, Parliament and the position of the Judiciary. All this provides a basis for a detailed examination of the principal post-1997 reforms - devolution, the Human Rights Act 1998 and its effects, the failure of House of Lords reform, and the impact of EU membership on the constitution. Johnson concludes that Britain is as far as it ever was from real 'checks and balances' and that the 'elective dictatorship' is even stronger

Reshaping the British Constitution provides a vigorous critique of the deformations of Britain's customary constitution and why it could not effectively stem the growth of a centralized political authority. On this foundation it provides a critical description and assessment of recent constitutional changes including devolution, House of Lords reform, human rights and the encroachment of the European Union.