Constitutional reform in Britain: The quiet revolution

Abstract

Since 1997, Britain has been undergoing a period of constitutional reform. This reform has been radical and yet piecemeal. The process has been unique in the democratic world, in that it has been converting an uncodified constitution into a codified one, but by stages, there being neither the political will nor the consensus to do more. Some of the contours of the new constitution will be familiar to Americans, for Britain now enjoys a quasi-federal system of government, and, in effect, a Bill of Rights. The creation of a more representative upper house is also part of the ongoing process of reform. In consequence, Britain no longer lives under an organic "historic" constitution but is in the process of fashioning one that is being created by deliberate human agency. Copyright © 2005 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved.