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Assess the Strengths of the Uk Constitution

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Assess the strengths of the UK constitution [25 marks]

A constitution is a set of principles, that may be uncodified (unwritten) or codified (written), that relates to how power is distributed within a political system, and establishes how a state is to be organised and governed. Constitutions seek to establish duties, powers and functions of various institutions of government and contribute to defining the relationship between the state and the individuals, for example, defining the extent of civil liberty. The UK constitution helps provide legitimacy to those, of which, are in power, but also limits government power. Although the UK constitution is uncodified, as a whole, parts of the constitution are codified, for example, the European Convention on Human Rights is a codified part of British Law, even though it was designed and created by the Council of Europe, in 1950.

Firstly, the UK constitution, being uncodified, means that it is flexible and can be easily adapted to changing circumstances, which could include referendum use and the continuous changing role of the House of Lords. The UK constitution is often called 'organic', which means that the constitution is rooted in society, and consequently means that when society and it's values change the UK constitution can adapt and change to society, without delay or hesitation. Furthermore, because the UK constitution is uncodified, it allows Parliament to pass Acts, without long delays and also allows new, uncodified conventions to develop, in order to take into consideration of the change, both socially and politically. An example, of the UK constitution's flexibility, after the 9/11 attack, in New York 2001. If the UK had had a codified and entrenched constitution, it would have been extremely demanding and difficult for Parliament to pass a large range of anti-terrorist plans, due to the numerous

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