Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Political and Constitutional Reform Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215557148
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 104
Book Description
Whilst welcoming the motivation behind the Manual and the transparency it brings to the workings of Government, the Committee says that in practice the Manual may be treated as having greater authority than originally intended, particularly where its content extends beyond matters purely for the Executive. All the work of the Executive, including the Cabinet Manual , is subject to scrutiny by Parliament. The fact that the document is primarily directed at the Executive does not exempt it from this scrutiny. The Committee makes some practical suggestions for specific improvements to the text, focusing particularly on the chapters covering government formation and ministers and Parliament. The Committee also challenges some of the specific content of the draft: the failure to include the convention, acknowledged elsewhere by the Government, that Parliament should have the opportunity to debate decisions to commit troops to armed conflict; guidance on when a Prime Minister should resign following a hung Parliament. The Committee recommends that the House should hold a regular debate on the Manual. The Committee felt, despite dissatisfaction with parts of the original draft, there was no reason to delay production of an approved version. The new version need not be perfect as it will be subject to further review.
Constitutional implications of the Cabinet manual
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Political and Constitutional Reform Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215557148
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 104
Book Description
Whilst welcoming the motivation behind the Manual and the transparency it brings to the workings of Government, the Committee says that in practice the Manual may be treated as having greater authority than originally intended, particularly where its content extends beyond matters purely for the Executive. All the work of the Executive, including the Cabinet Manual , is subject to scrutiny by Parliament. The fact that the document is primarily directed at the Executive does not exempt it from this scrutiny. The Committee makes some practical suggestions for specific improvements to the text, focusing particularly on the chapters covering government formation and ministers and Parliament. The Committee also challenges some of the specific content of the draft: the failure to include the convention, acknowledged elsewhere by the Government, that Parliament should have the opportunity to debate decisions to commit troops to armed conflict; guidance on when a Prime Minister should resign following a hung Parliament. The Committee recommends that the House should hold a regular debate on the Manual. The Committee felt, despite dissatisfaction with parts of the original draft, there was no reason to delay production of an approved version. The new version need not be perfect as it will be subject to further review.
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215557148
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 104
Book Description
Whilst welcoming the motivation behind the Manual and the transparency it brings to the workings of Government, the Committee says that in practice the Manual may be treated as having greater authority than originally intended, particularly where its content extends beyond matters purely for the Executive. All the work of the Executive, including the Cabinet Manual , is subject to scrutiny by Parliament. The fact that the document is primarily directed at the Executive does not exempt it from this scrutiny. The Committee makes some practical suggestions for specific improvements to the text, focusing particularly on the chapters covering government formation and ministers and Parliament. The Committee also challenges some of the specific content of the draft: the failure to include the convention, acknowledged elsewhere by the Government, that Parliament should have the opportunity to debate decisions to commit troops to armed conflict; guidance on when a Prime Minister should resign following a hung Parliament. The Committee recommends that the House should hold a regular debate on the Manual. The Committee felt, despite dissatisfaction with parts of the original draft, there was no reason to delay production of an approved version. The new version need not be perfect as it will be subject to further review.
Constitutional Conventions in Westminster Systems
Author: Brian Galligan
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316352420
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 289
Book Description
Conventions are fundamental to the constitutional systems of parliamentary democracies. Unlike the United States which adopted a republican form of government, with a full separation of powers, codified constitutional structures and limitations for executive and legislative institutions and actors, Britain and subsequently Canada, Australia and New Zealand have relied on conventions to perform similar functions. The rise of new political actors has disrupted the stability of the two-party system, and in seeking power the new players are challenging existing practices. Conventions that govern constitutional arrangements in Britain and New Zealand, and the executive in Canada and Australia, are changing to accommodate these and other challenges of modern governance. In Westminster democracies, constitutional conventions provide the rules for forming government; they precede law and make law-making possible. This prior and more fundamental realm of government formation and law making is shaped and structured by conventions.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316352420
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 289
Book Description
Conventions are fundamental to the constitutional systems of parliamentary democracies. Unlike the United States which adopted a republican form of government, with a full separation of powers, codified constitutional structures and limitations for executive and legislative institutions and actors, Britain and subsequently Canada, Australia and New Zealand have relied on conventions to perform similar functions. The rise of new political actors has disrupted the stability of the two-party system, and in seeking power the new players are challenging existing practices. Conventions that govern constitutional arrangements in Britain and New Zealand, and the executive in Canada and Australia, are changing to accommodate these and other challenges of modern governance. In Westminster democracies, constitutional conventions provide the rules for forming government; they precede law and make law-making possible. This prior and more fundamental realm of government formation and law making is shaped and structured by conventions.
HC 233 - Revisiting the Cabinet Manual
Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Political and Constitutional Reform Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0215081277
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 44
Book Description
The Cabinet Manual sets out some important "rules of the game" on constitutional issues that are of public interest, such as when the sitting Prime Minister at a general election who is unlikely to command a majority in the Parliament just elected should tender his resignation. Cabinet Manual provides a source of information on the laws, conventions and procedures that affect the operation and procedures of the Government. The Committee says that well before the forthcoming election, the Cabinet Secretary should set out the Government's view of the constitutional principles that will underpin the continuance in office or otherwise of an administration following a general election. Revision of the Manual is important: a document which is not regularly updated to reflect relevant developments will lack authority. The Committee believes the Manual should be revised at least every Parliament, and especially on the arrival of a new administration. The Cabinet should publish, and keep updated, a list of matters which need to be amended when the Manual is nest revised, and should mark up the online version of the Manual at places where revisions are expected.
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0215081277
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 44
Book Description
The Cabinet Manual sets out some important "rules of the game" on constitutional issues that are of public interest, such as when the sitting Prime Minister at a general election who is unlikely to command a majority in the Parliament just elected should tender his resignation. Cabinet Manual provides a source of information on the laws, conventions and procedures that affect the operation and procedures of the Government. The Committee says that well before the forthcoming election, the Cabinet Secretary should set out the Government's view of the constitutional principles that will underpin the continuance in office or otherwise of an administration following a general election. Revision of the Manual is important: a document which is not regularly updated to reflect relevant developments will lack authority. The Committee believes the Manual should be revised at least every Parliament, and especially on the arrival of a new administration. The Cabinet should publish, and keep updated, a list of matters which need to be amended when the Manual is nest revised, and should mark up the online version of the Manual at places where revisions are expected.
The Office of Lord Chancellor
Author: Diana Woodhouse
Publisher: Hart Publishing
ISBN: 1841130214
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 233
Book Description
This book analyses the development and current position of the Lord Chancellor in his various roles.
Publisher: Hart Publishing
ISBN: 1841130214
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 233
Book Description
This book analyses the development and current position of the Lord Chancellor in his various roles.
The Cabinet Manual
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Lords: Select Committee on the Constitution
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780108473142
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 68
Book Description
The draft Cabinet Manual was published by the Cabinet Office on 14 December 2010. Its development was first announced in February 2010, when, in a speech to the Institute for Public Policy Research, the then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, stated that he had asked the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O'Donnell, "to lead work to consolidate the existing unwritten, piecemeal conventions that govern much of the way central government operates under our existing constitution into a single written document." The concept of a Cabinet Manual appears to have drawn extensively upon experience in New Zealand. The full draft of the Manual (incorporating a revised version of the chapter on elections and government formation) was published with the agreement of the new Prime Minister, David Cameron, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, and after its text had been approved by the Cabinet following consideration by the relevant Cabinet sub-committee and was made subject to public consultation. The Cabinet Secretary has stated that he expects to invite Cabinet to endorse a revised version of the Cabinet Manual in the spring of 2011. This report forms the Select Committee on the Constitution's response to the consultation. It is also intended to inform Members of the House about the issues which arise from the Manual's publication.
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780108473142
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 68
Book Description
The draft Cabinet Manual was published by the Cabinet Office on 14 December 2010. Its development was first announced in February 2010, when, in a speech to the Institute for Public Policy Research, the then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, stated that he had asked the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O'Donnell, "to lead work to consolidate the existing unwritten, piecemeal conventions that govern much of the way central government operates under our existing constitution into a single written document." The concept of a Cabinet Manual appears to have drawn extensively upon experience in New Zealand. The full draft of the Manual (incorporating a revised version of the chapter on elections and government formation) was published with the agreement of the new Prime Minister, David Cameron, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, and after its text had been approved by the Cabinet following consideration by the relevant Cabinet sub-committee and was made subject to public consultation. The Cabinet Secretary has stated that he expects to invite Cabinet to endorse a revised version of the Cabinet Manual in the spring of 2011. This report forms the Select Committee on the Constitution's response to the consultation. It is also intended to inform Members of the House about the issues which arise from the Manual's publication.
Comparing Cabinets
Author: Patrick Weller
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198844948
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 277
Book Description
Why is cabinet government so resilient? Despite many obituaries, why does it continue to be the vehicle for governing across most parliamentary systems? Comparing Cabinets answers these questions by examining the structure and performance of cabinet government in five democracies: the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Australia. The book is organised around the dilemmas that cabinet governments must solve: how to develop the formal rules and practices that can bring predictability and consistency to decision making; how to balance good policy with good politics; how to ensure cohesion between the factions and parties that constitute the cabinet while allowing levels of self-interest to be advanced; how leaders can balance persuasion and command; and how to maintain support through accountability at the same time as being able to make unpopular decisions. All these dilemmas are continuing challenges to cabinet government, never solvable, and constantly reappearing in different forms. Comparing distinct parliamentary systems reveals how traditions, beliefs, and practices shape the answers. There is no single definition of cabinet government, but rather arenas and shared practices that provide some cohesion. Such a comparative approach allows greater insight into the process of cabinet government that cannot be achieved in the study of any single political system, and an understanding of the pressures on each system by appreciating the options that are elsewhere accepted as common beliefs.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198844948
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 277
Book Description
Why is cabinet government so resilient? Despite many obituaries, why does it continue to be the vehicle for governing across most parliamentary systems? Comparing Cabinets answers these questions by examining the structure and performance of cabinet government in five democracies: the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Australia. The book is organised around the dilemmas that cabinet governments must solve: how to develop the formal rules and practices that can bring predictability and consistency to decision making; how to balance good policy with good politics; how to ensure cohesion between the factions and parties that constitute the cabinet while allowing levels of self-interest to be advanced; how leaders can balance persuasion and command; and how to maintain support through accountability at the same time as being able to make unpopular decisions. All these dilemmas are continuing challenges to cabinet government, never solvable, and constantly reappearing in different forms. Comparing distinct parliamentary systems reveals how traditions, beliefs, and practices shape the answers. There is no single definition of cabinet government, but rather arenas and shared practices that provide some cohesion. Such a comparative approach allows greater insight into the process of cabinet government that cannot be achieved in the study of any single political system, and an understanding of the pressures on each system by appreciating the options that are elsewhere accepted as common beliefs.
The Changing Constitution
Author: Jeffrey L. Jowell
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 019870982X
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 451
Book Description
Since its first edition in 1985, The Changing Constitution has cemented its reputation for providing concise, scholarly and thought-provoking essays on the key issues surrounding the UK's constitutional development, and the current debates around reform. The eight edition of this highly successful volume is published at a time of accelerated constitutional change. This collection of essays brings together fourteen expert contributors to offer an invaluable source of material and analysis for all students of constitutional law and politics. Online Resource Centre This book is accompanied by an Online Resource Centre which includes updates on key developments, a 'library' of web links, and a timeline of key dates in British legal and political history.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 019870982X
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 451
Book Description
Since its first edition in 1985, The Changing Constitution has cemented its reputation for providing concise, scholarly and thought-provoking essays on the key issues surrounding the UK's constitutional development, and the current debates around reform. The eight edition of this highly successful volume is published at a time of accelerated constitutional change. This collection of essays brings together fourteen expert contributors to offer an invaluable source of material and analysis for all students of constitutional law and politics. Online Resource Centre This book is accompanied by an Online Resource Centre which includes updates on key developments, a 'library' of web links, and a timeline of key dates in British legal and political history.
The Prime Ministers' Craft
Author: Patrick Weller
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192540769
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 389
Book Description
Prime ministers are presented as ever-more powerful figures; at the same time they seem to fail more regularly. How can the public image be so different from the apparent experience? This book seeks to answer this conundrum. It examines the myth that prime ministers are growing more powerful or that prime ministerial government has replaced cabinet government, and explores the way that prime ministers work and how they use the available levers of power to build support across the political system. Prime ministers have the potential to exercise extensive power; to do so they need to exercise the skills and opportunities available: that is, they need to develop the prime ministers' craft. Using evidence from four countries with similar Westminster systems, Australia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand, the analysis starts at the centre by examining how prime ministers reach office and how they understand their new job -- those who win elections see it differently from those who replace leaders from the same party. The book then analyses the support prime ministers have from their Prime Ministers Offices and the Cabinet Offices, exploring their relations with ministers and the way they run and use their cabinet, and explains how governments work and why prime ministers are so central to their success. The book then explores their role as public figures selling the government to the parliament and the electorate and to the international community beyond. The Prime Ministers' Craft concludes by assessing how success can be judged and identifies how the different institutional arrangements have an impact on the way prime ministers work and the degree to which they are accountable.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192540769
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 389
Book Description
Prime ministers are presented as ever-more powerful figures; at the same time they seem to fail more regularly. How can the public image be so different from the apparent experience? This book seeks to answer this conundrum. It examines the myth that prime ministers are growing more powerful or that prime ministerial government has replaced cabinet government, and explores the way that prime ministers work and how they use the available levers of power to build support across the political system. Prime ministers have the potential to exercise extensive power; to do so they need to exercise the skills and opportunities available: that is, they need to develop the prime ministers' craft. Using evidence from four countries with similar Westminster systems, Australia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand, the analysis starts at the centre by examining how prime ministers reach office and how they understand their new job -- those who win elections see it differently from those who replace leaders from the same party. The book then analyses the support prime ministers have from their Prime Ministers Offices and the Cabinet Offices, exploring their relations with ministers and the way they run and use their cabinet, and explains how governments work and why prime ministers are so central to their success. The book then explores their role as public figures selling the government to the parliament and the electorate and to the international community beyond. The Prime Ministers' Craft concludes by assessing how success can be judged and identifies how the different institutional arrangements have an impact on the way prime ministers work and the degree to which they are accountable.
The Veiled Sceptre
Author: Anne Twomey
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107056780
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 913
Book Description
The extension to other Realms of the reserve power to refuse a dissolution
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107056780
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 913
Book Description
The extension to other Realms of the reserve power to refuse a dissolution
The Codes of the Constitution
Author: Andrew Blick
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1509904093
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
This book describes an astounding feat of constitutional writing and publication. For a number of decades, officials working across different branches of the United Kingdom (UK) constitution have been engaged in a series of separate projects. Taken in their totality, they amount to a vast enterprise. Yet, until now, no-one has fully recognised or critically analysed what has taken place. There has been a proliferation in the UK of publicly available codes, normally lacking a basis in statute, providing official accounts of a variety of different features of UK constitutional rules and principles. They cover institutions ranging from the Cabinet to the Civil Service to the judiciary, and relationships between entities such as central government and the devolved executives; and between the UK executive and the Westminster Parliament. Among them are prominent texts such as the Ministerial Code, the Cabinet Manual, the Guide to Judicial Conduct and the devolution Memorandum of Understanding – as well as more obscure documents that nonetheless contain important stipulations regarding the operation of the system. Similar developments have taken place in countries including Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The author explores the history of this phenomenon in the UK, how it functions today here and elsewhere in the Commonwealth, and its implications for the UK constitution.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1509904093
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
This book describes an astounding feat of constitutional writing and publication. For a number of decades, officials working across different branches of the United Kingdom (UK) constitution have been engaged in a series of separate projects. Taken in their totality, they amount to a vast enterprise. Yet, until now, no-one has fully recognised or critically analysed what has taken place. There has been a proliferation in the UK of publicly available codes, normally lacking a basis in statute, providing official accounts of a variety of different features of UK constitutional rules and principles. They cover institutions ranging from the Cabinet to the Civil Service to the judiciary, and relationships between entities such as central government and the devolved executives; and between the UK executive and the Westminster Parliament. Among them are prominent texts such as the Ministerial Code, the Cabinet Manual, the Guide to Judicial Conduct and the devolution Memorandum of Understanding – as well as more obscure documents that nonetheless contain important stipulations regarding the operation of the system. Similar developments have taken place in countries including Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The author explores the history of this phenomenon in the UK, how it functions today here and elsewhere in the Commonwealth, and its implications for the UK constitution.