SocietyCouture Course.docx
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SocietyCoutureCourse
Society&CoutureCourse
AutumnTerm2009
RevisionNotes
UK
UKConstitution
•TheUKdoesnothaveawrittenconstitution,thereisnosingledocumentsettingouthowthecountryistobegoverned.
•Theprinciplesofgovernanceareincludedin:
–StatuteLaw;
–CommonLaw;and
–Conventions.
•ThisentiresystemisoftenspokenofasactingonPrecedent（i.e.ithasbeendonebefore）.
StatuteLaws
•ThesearethelawswhichhavebeenpassedbyparliamentandapprovedbytheMonarch
•TheyarewrittenintheStatuteBooks.
•Theymustbeappliedbythecourtswhoarerequiredtointerpretthemaccordingtotheintentionsofparliament.
•TheCourtshavenopowertore-writeStatuteLaw.
CommonLaw
•Asasocietydevelopsthingsareseenaseitherrightorwrongbythemembersofthatsociety.
•Thesearepartoftheconventionsthatregulatetheday-to-daybehaviourofthemembersofthatsociety.
•Somethingsaresoimportantthattheygiverisetoseriousdisputeswithinsociety.
•IntheUKtheCourtshavesettledthesedisputes,andtheirrulingsestablishwhatisCommonLaw.
Convention
•Aconventionisanacceptedwayinwhichthingsaredone:
•ManyUKconventionsareancientinorigin,andgobacktothefoundationoftheparliamentarysysteminthe13thcentury.
•Conventionsarenotformallyenforceableina courtoflaw.Thatthemonarchacceptsthelawspassedbyparliamentisanimportantconvention.
•Conventionscanbechangediftheyarefoundnottoworkinthemodernworld.
•MagnaCartaortheGreatCharter,isanextremelyimportantdocumentthatunderliesboththeBritishandAmericanConstitutions.
•ItisconsideredasthefoundationofthecivillibertiesenjoyedbyEnglishsubjects.
•ItsprovisionswereadoptedinthevariousDeclarationsofRightsthatgovernedthe13AmericanColoniesandformedthebasisoftheBillofRightsintheAmericanConstitution.
•MagnaCartawasarguablythemostsignificantearlyinfluenceontheextensivehistoricalprocessthatledtotheruleof constitutionallaw todayinthe Englishspeakingworld.
•ItrequiredJohn toproclaimcertainrightsoffreemen,respectcertain legalprocedures,andacceptthathis will couldbe boundbythelaw.
•ItexplicitlyprotectedcertainrightsoftheKing'ssubjects,andimplicitlysupportedwhatbecamethe writ of habeascorpus,allowingappealagainstunlawfulimprisonment.
UKBillofRights
•MonarchseasilycontrolledparliamentandthisledtoCivilWarandtheexecutionofCharlesIin1649.
•ElevenyearsofPuritanrulewereendedbytheRestoration1660.Bythenanti-CatholicsentimenthadbeeninstitutionalisedandwhenCatholicJamesIIsucceededin1685,CivilWaragainloomed.
•ParliamentforcedJamestofleeandthethronewasusurpedbyhisdaughterMaryandherhusbandWilliamofOrange.
•ThepricetheypaidwasthealmostcompletesurrenderofpowerfromthemonarchtoParliament.
•ThiswasenshrinedintheBillofRights.
Parliament
ParliamentaryDemocracy（UK）:
∙TheUKPolityhasthreebranches;TheMonarchy,theHouseofLords（UpperHouse）&theHouseofCommons（LowerHouse）.
∙TheMonarchinheritsherposition;allnewlawsmustbesignedbyher.Shehasnopowertoinitiatelegislation,buyshecanrefusetodoso.Inpracticeshealwayssigns.
∙MembersoftheHouseofLordseitherinherittheirseatsorareappointedbythePrimeMinister.Theyhavenopowertoinitiatelegislation.Theymaysuggestamendmentstonewlaws,whichmayormaynotbeaccepted.Theycanonlydelayanewlawbyuptooneyear,afterthatitisautomaticallyenacted.
∙TheHouseofCommonsistheonlybranchwhichiselectedbythepeople.Thereare646MembersofParliament（MPs）,eachrepresentingasingleconstituency.
∙BylawanewHouseofCommonsmustbeelectedevery5years,althoughinpracticeitisusuallyaround4years.
∙TheHouseofCommonschoosesthePrimeMinister（PM）,whoisusuallytheleaderofthePartywhichhasthemostseatsintheHouse.
∙TherearenolimitsonthenumberofyearsaPrimeMinistermayremaininoffice.
∙ThePMappointsthegovernment.IntheUKthisiscarriedoutbyaCabinetofMinisters.AllnewlegislationisintroducedbytheCabinetandvotedonbytheMPs.
∙AllpoliticalpowerisinthehandsofthePM.
MagnaCarta
•BytheendofthereignofHenryIIin1189,theKingsthatfollowedWilliamtheConqueror,hadgreatlyconsolidatedtheirpowerandruledEnglandasabsolutemonarchs.
•AtthatperiodinEurope,itwaswidelyacceptedthataconsecratedkingderivedhispowerfromGod.
•Henrywassucceededbyhissecondson,Richard,in1199.
•RichardhadspentmostofhisreignonCrusadeandearnedthetitleTheLionhearted.
•Duringhisprolongedabsences,Englandbecamerestless.HisregentwashisyoungerbrotherJohn,wholackedanysenseofjudgement.
•WhenJohnsucceededRichardin1199hewasalreadydeeplyunpopularwiththeBarons（thenobility）andalso,crucially,theChurch.
•TherewerethreeaspectstothepoliticalsituationthatledtoMagnaCarta:
•ThestrugglebetweentheChurchandtheCrown;
•GrowingresentmentatthetaxationlevelsbeingimposedbytheCrownontheBarons;
•AnunderlyingresentmentoftheruleoftheFrenchandawishtoreturntotheoldEnglishlawsoftheAnglo-Saxonperiod.
•TheMedievalCatholicChurchwasallpowerfulinEurope.
•TheheadoftheChurch,thePope,hadprecedentoverallkingsandwieldedimmensepoliticalpower.
•AllChurchappointments（Bishops,Archbishopsetc.）wereamatterforthePopeonly.
•TheChurchoperateditsownlegalsystemsothatpriestswerenotsubjecttocommonlaw.
•HenryIIfrequentlyclashedwithoftheArchbishopofCanterbury.
•ThemainclasheswereoverthelegaljurisdictionsofCrownandChurch.
•'Sanctuary'allowedanyaccusedpersontoseekrefugeinachurchandplacehiscasebeforeGod.Thecivilpowerswereforbiddentoenterthechurchinpursuitofhim.
•Iftheaccusedcouldreadorwrite,hewasgranted"BenefitofClergy"whichmeantthathewouldbetriedinachurchcourtratherthanacivilcourt.
•Churchlawwasmorelenientanddidnotincludethedeathpenalty.
•Thesecondmostcontentiousissueconcernedmoney.
•Peter'sPencewasanannualpaymentofonepennythateachfamilyhadtomaketothePope.
•ItwasdespatchedtoRomebytheArchbishopofCanterbury.
•HenrysawthisasataxonhissubjectsandarguedthattheCrownwasentitledtoashare.
•Naturally,thePopeandArchbishopdismissedthisclaim.
•WhenArchbishopTheobalddiedin1162,HenryappointedhisChancellor,Thomasa'BecketasArchbishop.
•ThePopeobjectedandThomaswenttoRome,returningtoEnglandachangedman.
•HerefusedtodoHenry'sbiddingandwasevenmoreobstinateinupholdingtheprivilegesoftheChurch.
•HewasmurderedbyfourofHenry'sKnightsasheprayedinCanterburyCathedralatChristmas1170.
•HeatoncebecameasaintandCanterburyashrineforpilgrims.
•AfterBecket'smurder,therelationshipbetweenCrownandChurchslippedintoanuneasytruce.
•Johnwastochangeallthat.In1205,thePopeappointedanewArchbishop,butJohnrefusedtoallowhimtoenterthecountry.
•ThePopethenbannedallchurchservicesinEngland.Thisputthesoulsofallhissubjectsatgreatrisk,andJohneventuallygavein.
•PopeInnocentIIIexactedhisrevenge,andmadeJohnagreetopayhimmoneywheneverhedemandedit.Johnwasnowhumiliatedanddespisedbyhiscountrymen.
•TaxesleviedbyKingJohnwereextortionate.Hisreprisalsagainstdefaulterswereruthlessandhisideajusticewaswidelycondemned.
•Peopleatallevelsofsocietysawhimasavariciousandgrasping.
•TheBaronsquarrelledwithhimoverhismethodsofrulingEngland.
•In1212heimposedheavytaxesontheBaronstopayforawarinFrance.
•ThiswastoomuchfortheBaronsandtheyconsultedwiththeArchbishop,StephenLangton.
•TheBaronsandStephenLangtondecidedtocurbtheKingandmakehimgovernbytheoldEnglishlawsthathadprevailedbeforetheNormanscame.
•ThedemandsoftheBaronsweredocumentedinthe'ArticlesoftheBarons'inJanuary1215.
•TheBaronstookuparmsagainstKingJohnandcapturedLondoninMay1215.
•TheywerewelcomedbythecitizensandtheTowerofLondonwasseized.Thecountrywasonthepointofcivilwar.
•InJunetheBarons,fullyarmedindefianceofallprotocol,tookKingJohnbysurpriseatWindsorCastle.
•HispositionwashopelessandheagreedtoameetingatRunnymede,westofLondonandneartoday'sHeathrowairport.
•Aftersomenegotiation,JohncapitulatedandsignedtheagreementsonJune12.
•Theroyalchanceryproducedaformalroyalgrant,basedontheagreementsreachedatRunnymede,whichbecameknownasMagnaCarta
•MagnaCartawasarguablythemostsignificantearlyinfluenceontheextensivehistoricalprocessthatledtotheruleof constitutionallaw todayinthe Englishspeakingworld.
•ItrequiredJohn toproclaimcertainrightsoffreemen,respectcertain legalprocedures,andacceptthathis will couldbe boundbythelaw.
•ItexplicitlyprotectedcertainrightsoftheKing'ssubjects,andimplicitlysupportedwhatbecamethe writ of habeascorpus,allowingappealagainstunlawfulimprisonment.
•Insummary,thedocumentstipulatesthat:
•TheChurchwastobefreefromroyalinterference,especiallyintheelectionofbishops;
•Notaxes,excepttheregularfeudaldues,wouldbeimposedwithouttheconsentoftheGreatCouncil,orParliament;
•AllaccusedpersonshadarighttoTrialbyJury;
•Allweightsandmeasuresweretobekeptuniformthroughouttherealm.
•ThemostsignificantclauseforKingJohnatthetime
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