General Principles of Constitutional and Administrative Law, Fourth Edition

639 Pages·2007·2.17 MB·English

by  John Alder

General Principles of
Constitutional and
Administrative Law
Fourth Edition
John Alder
General Principles of Constitutional and Administrative Law
Palgrave Macmillan LawMasters
SeriesEditorMariseCremona
StephenJudge
BUSINESS LAW (2ndedn)
JanetDine
COMPANY LAW (4thedn)
JohnAlder
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF CONSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE
LAW (4thedn)
EwanMcKendrick
CONTRACT LAW (4thedn)
PriscillaSarton
CONVEYANCING(3rdedn)
JonathanHerring
CRIMINAL LAW (3rdedn)
DebbieJ.Lockton
EMPLOYMENT LAW (4thedn)
RaymondEmson
EVIDENCE
KateStandley
FAMILY LAW (3rdedn)
DavidCowan
HOUSING LAW AND POLICY
TinaHartandLindaFazzani
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW (2ndedn)
KateGreenandJoeCursley
LAND LAW(4thedn)
MargaretWilkieandGodfreyCole
LANDLORD AND TENANT LAW (4thedn)
JoShaw
LAW OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (3rdedn)
CatherineRendell
LAW OF SUCCESSION
IanMcLeod
LEGAL METHOD (4thedn)
IanMcLeod
LEGAL THEORY
RobertEast
SOCIAL SECURITY LAW
AlastairMullisandKenOliphant
TORTS (3rdedn)
General Principles of
Constitutional and
Administrative Law
Fourth Edition
John Alder
ProfessorofLaw,UniversityofNewcastleuponTyne
With contributions from
Michael Haley, Barry Hough, Richard Mullender
Law series editor:
Marise Cremona
ProfessorofEuropeanCommercialLaw,
CentreforCommercialLawStudies,QueenMary,UniversityofLondon
&JohnAlder,1989,1994,1999,2002
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Contents
Preface xi
Tableof Cases xiii
Tableof Statutes xxxvi
Part I FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES
1 The Natureof Constitutional Law 3
1.1 Introduction;What isa Constitution? 3
1.2 Civic Republicanism 8
1.3 Representative Democracy 10
Summary 14
FurtherReading 15
Exercises 16
2 Constitutional Values 17
2.1 TheNation State, the Enlightenment and
the SocialContract 17
2.2 Incommensurablesand Uncombinables 19
2.3 Hobbes:Constrained Individualism 24
2.4 Locke: Liberalism andMajoritarianism 27
2.5 Rousseau:Communitarianism 29
2.6 Hume:ACommon Law Approach 32
2.7 Liberalism andUtilitarianism 32
Summary 37
FurtherReading 37
Exercises 38
3 The Sourcesof the Constitution 39
3.1 Writtenand UnwrittenConstitutions 39
3.2 TheCommon Law Constitution 44
3.3 Conventions(BarryHough) 47
3.4 Lawand Convention 54
3.5 Codificationof Conventions(BarryHough) 57
3.6 TheDignified andEfficient Constitution 58
Summary 59
FurtherReading 61
Exercises 61
v
vi Contents
4 TheStructure ofthe UKGovernment: AnOverview 62
4.1 TheInformal Constitution 62
4.2 Crownv. Parliament: Historical Outline 64
4.3 TheGrowth of the Executive 69
4.4 TheConcept ofthe State 70
4.5 TheLegislature 74
4.6 TheCentral Executive 75
4.7 ParliamentaryGovernment 77
4.8 ‘Hollowed-Out’ Government 79
4.9 Ethics in Government 81
4.10 TheJudiciary 83
4.11 ThePrivy Council 84
4.12 Citizenship 85
4.13 ConstitutionalReform 88
Summary 89
FurtherReading 90
Exercises 91
5 Constitutionalism:The Ruleof Lawandthe Separation
ofPowers 92
5.1 Introduction:The Nature andPurpose ofthe
Rule ofLaw 92
5.2 TheCore Meaning of the Rule ofLaw 94
5.3 TheExtended Ruleof Law 95
5.4 Dicey’s Versionof the Rule of Law 97
5.5 TheInternational Ruleof Law 101
5.6 Dissent andthe Rule ofLaw 104
5.7 TheSeparation of Powers 105
Summary 118
FurtherReading 119
Exercises 119
6 ParliamentarySupremacy 121
6.1 TheMeaning of ParliamentarySupremacy 122
6.2 Historical Development 123
6.3 TheApplication ofParliamentary Supremacy 125
6.4 TheIngredients of anActof Parliament 127
6.5 Dividing ParliamentarySupremacy? 129
6.6 ParliamentarySupremacyand the Ruleof Law 136
6.7. Conclusion 140
6.8 Note: DelegatedLegislation 140
Summary 141
FurtherReading 142
Exercises 142
Contents vii
Part II THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF POWER
7 Federalism andDevolution 147
7.1 Introduction:Federal andDevolved Government 147
7.2 Scotland 150
7.3 NorthernIreland 154
7.4 Wales 160
7.5 TheChannel Islands andthe Isleof Man 162
7.6 BritishOverseas Territories 163
Summary 163
FurtherReading 164
Exercises 164
8 Local Government 165
8.1 LocalAuthority Organisation andFunctions 166
8.2 StructureandPowers 168
8.3 ControlbyCentral Government 169
8.4 Internal Constitution 170
8.5 PartyPolitics 172
8.6 Finance 174
8.7 TheLocal Ombudsman 177
Summary 179
FurtherReading 179
Exercises 180
9 The EuropeanUnion 181
9.1 TheNature of the EuropeanUnion 181
9.2 Community Institutions 184
9.3 Democracyand the EuropeanUnion 192
9.4 Federalismand theEuropean Union 194
9.5 Community Law andNational Law 196
Summary 204
FurtherReading 205
Exercises 205
Part III GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS
10 Parliament 209
10.1 Historical Development 209
10.2 The Meetingof Parliament 214
10.3 The Functions ofParliament 215
10.4 Parliamentary Privilege andStandards 220
Summary 232
FurtherReading 234
Exercises 234
viii Contents
11 TheComposition ofParliament andParliamentary Elections 236
11.1 TheHouse of Lords 236
11.2 Houseof Lords Reform 241
11.3 Membership of the Houseof Commons 243
11.4 TheElectoral System 245
11.5 TheConduct of Campaigns 257
11.6 ElectionDisputes 262
Summary 262
FurtherReading 263
Exercises 264
12 ParliamentaryProcedure 265
12.1 Introduction 265
12.2 TheSpeaker 267
12.3 Legislative Procedure 268
12.4 FinancialProcedure 275
12.5 Supervision of theExecutive 279
12.6 Redress of Grievances 284
Summary 287
FurtherReading 288
Exercises 288
13 TheCrown 290
13.1 TheNature of the Crown 290
13.2 TheQueen 292
13.3 CrownImmunities 296
13.4 TheRoyal Prerogative 299
Summary 308
FurtherReading 309
Exercises 309
14 MinistersandDepartments 311
14.1 ThePrime Minister 311
14.2 TheCabinet 313
14.3 Ministers 315
14.4 Government Departments 317
14.5 MinisterialResponsibility (BarryHough) 318
14.6 Civil Servants 329
14.7 ExecutiveAgencies andthe ‘New Management’ 334
14.8 Non-Departmental PublicBodies 337
Summary 340
FurtherReading 341
Exercises 342
Contents ix
15 The Police andthe ArmedForces 344
15.1 Introduction 344
15.2 PoliceOrganisation and Control 344
15.3 PoliceAccountability 349
15.4 TheArmedForces 355
Summary 357
FurtherReading 358
Exercises 358
Part IV THE CITIZEN AND THE STATE
16 Judicial Review of the Executive:TheGrounds of Review 363
16.1 Introduction:Constitutional Basis ofJudicial Review 363
16.2 AppealandReview 366
16.3 Classificationof the Grounds of Review 368
16.4 Illegality 369
16.5 Irrationality/Unreasonableness 382
16.6 ProceduralImpropriety 386
Summary 398
FurtherReading 400
Exercises 400
17 Judicial Review Remedies 403
17.1 TheRange ofRemedies 403
17.2 TheJudicial ReviewProcedure 407
17.3 Choiceof Procedure:Public andPrivate Law 411
17.4 TheExclusion of Judicial Review 414
Summary 416
FurtherReading 416
Exercises 417
18 Human Rights andCivil Liberties 419
18.1 Introduction:The Bill ofRights Debate 419
18.2 TheCommon Law 423
18.3 TheEuropean Conventionon HumanRights 427
18.4 TheHuman RightsAct 1998 433
18.5 Restrictions onProtected Rights:Reasoning Methods 444
Summary 454
FurtherReading 455
Exercises 456
19 Freedom ofPolitical Expression 458
19.1 Introduction:Justifications forFreedom of Expression
(with contributionbyRichard Mullender) 458
19.2 TheStatus of Freedom of Expression 462
19.3 ‘Prior Restraint’ andCensorship 464