Relations between the branches: Practice Questions

• a.

  It gave the Executive the power to overturn Supreme Court rulings using secondary legislation.

• b.

  It granted the House of Commons the exclusive power to initiate financial legislation.

• c.

  It codified the UK Constitution into a single document to limit the power of the Prime Minister.

• d.

  It enhanced judicial independence by removing the Law Lords from the House of Lords to create a separate Supreme Court.

• a.Parliamentary Sovereignty was abolished by the Human Rights Act 1998, giving the courts final legal authority.
• b.The Supreme Court can declare any Act of Parliament unconstitutional and legally void.
• c.The judiciary can strike down secondary legislation or executive actions as ultra vires, but it cannot strike down primary Acts of Parliament.
• d.Judicial review only applies to the devolved assemblies and has no authority over the central executive in Westminster.

• a.

  The minister has acted beyond the legal powers granted to them by statute.

• b.

  The minister has overridden the principle of parliamentary sovereignty.

• c.

  The minister has failed to achieve a majority in the House of Commons.

• d.

  The minister has violated a non-binding constitutional convention.

• a.

  They have the power to dismiss ministers if their departmental performance is found to be unsatisfactory during hearings.

• b.

  They provide detailed scrutiny of departmental policy, though the government is not legally obliged to implement their recommendations.

• c.

  They focus primarily on the 'theatre' of politics, like PMQs, rather than substantive policy investigation.

• d.

  They are dominated by the opposition, ensuring that the government's legislative agenda is frequently blocked.

• a.Ultra vires
• b.Elective dictatorship
• c.Judicial activism
• d.Stare decisis

Write your answer out first, then check it against the worked solution.

Write your answer out first, then check it against the worked solution.