Essential Cases: Public Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in R v Secretary of State for Transport, ex parte Factortame Ltd (No. 2) [1991] 1 AC 603, House of Lords. This case explored whether a United Kingdom court could suspend the effect of primary legislation where it was in conflict with European Community law. It necessarily raises questions about the nature and limits (if any) of parliamentary sovereignty, and for this reason remains relevant notwithstanding the UK’s departure from the European Union. The document also includes supporting commentary from author Thomas Webb.
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Essential Cases: Public Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in R v Secretary of State for Transport, ex parte Factortame Ltd (No. 2) [1991] 1 AC 603, House of Lords. This case explored whether a United Kingdom court could suspend the effect of primary legislation where it was in conflict with European Community law. It necessarily raises questions about the nature and limits (if any) of parliamentary sovereignty, and for this reason remains relevant notwithstanding the UK’s departure from the European Union. The document also includes supporting commentary and questions from author Thomas Webb.
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Essential Cases: Public Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in R v Secretary of State for Transport, ex parte Factortame Ltd (No. 2) [1991] 1 AC 603, House of Lords. This case explored whether a United Kingdom court could suspend the effect of primary legislation where it was in conflict with European Community law. It necessarily raises questions about the nature and limits (if any) of parliamentary sovereignty, and for this reason remains relevant notwithstanding the UK’s departure from the European Union. The document also includes supporting commentary and questions from author Thomas Webb.
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Sir William Wade and Christopher Forsyth
This chapter discusses the incorporation of European law into British constitutional and administrative law. In particular, it considers the the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR), incorporated by the Human Rights Act 1998, and the European Union (formerly the European Economic Community), incorporated by the European Communities Act 1972.
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This chapter focuses on the current interaction between European Union and UK law. EU law is currently a source of UK law. However, the relationship between the two regimes is expected to change in the future as a consequence of the UK’s decision to withdraw from the EU. The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 stipulates that the European Communities Act 1972 will be ‘repealed on exit day’, which would be 29 March 2019 provided that the two-year period since Article 50 TEU was triggered is not extended. Once the European Communities Act 1972 has been repealed, EU law will cease to be a source of UK law. No major immediate changes to the national competition legislation are to be expected, but future reforms could distance the UK system from the EU rules.
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This chapter discusses how to use legislation. It first looks at the ‘anatomy’ of an Act of Parliament and describes each of its composite parts. It then considers the various means by which the courts can interpret the wording of statutory provisions, including a discussion of the impact of the European Communities Act 1972 and the Human Rights Act 1998.
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This chapter discusses UK membership of the European Union and the Brexit process. On 1 January 1973, the UK became a member of the European Economic Community, and the UK Parliament passed the European Communities Act 1972, allowing directly applicable European laws to take effect as part of UK domestic law which had an impact on parliamentary sovereignty. In the 2016 Brexit referendum, a narrow majority of the public voted in favour of leaving the European Union and the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 repealed the European Communities Act 1972 on exit day when the UK left the European Union. Brexit has made significant changes to the UK constitution including the creation of a new body of retained EU law in UK domestic law, an impact on devolution, and raising the question of whether it has been a sufficient constitutional moment to trigger a codified UK constitution.
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This chapter discusses how to use legislation. It first looks at the ‘anatomy’ of an Act of Parliament and describes each of its composite parts. It then considers the various means by which the courts can interpret the wording of statutory provisions, including a discussion of the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Communities Act 1972.
