Table of Contents

1. Introduction The ‘ Vow ’ Constitutional Perceptions PART I: The Written Constitutional Tradition 2. Before Magna Carta: Early Law Codes and Charters The Ethelbert Law Code Anglo-Saxon Codes After Ethelbert Post-Conquest Texts 3. Magna Carta: The Life, Death and Afterlife of a Text The Magna Carta Moment The 1215 Text Magna Carta After 1215 The Global Status of Magna Carta 4. Revolutionary Century The Petition of Right 1628 Blueprints: The Army and the Levellers Constitutions Under Cromwell The Bill of Rights 1689 The Act of Settlement 1701: Alternative Constitutional Model ? 5. Union and Parliament The Creation of a Union Great Britain and Ireland Albert Venn Dicey and Parliamentary Sovereignty The Parliament Act 1911 PART II: A System in Turmoil 6. The Dynamic Constitution Constitution and Society Parliament The Civil Service The Process of Change 7. European Integration and its Consequences on and the UK Constitution The European Communities Act 1972 The Rise of the Referendum: 1975 to the Present The Fracturing of Collective Responsibility 8. The Multination State Devolution and its Implications England Left Behind Local Government in England The English Question 9. The Rule of Law, Human Rights and Constitutional Conflict The Rule of Law in the United Kingdom The Human Rights Act Protected Rights, their Limitations and their Impact A Clash of Models 10. Direction of Travel Codifying Convention and Limiting the Royal Prerogative A New Model ? A Written Constitution: Proposals and Drafts Practical Steps: Gordon Brown and Beyond PART III: A Constitution for the United Kingdom 11. Advocating and Creating a Written Constitution The Positive Case for a Written Constitution The Negative Case for a Written Constitution Creating a Constitution Preparatory Steps and Composition of a Convention Remit, Working Methods and Ratification of the Text 12. The Constitution Presentation, Writing Style and Preamble A Federal Union The UK Executive Parliament After Sovereignty The Composition of Parliament Electing Parliament Parliament and Accountability Fundamental Rights The Courts, the Legal System and Constitutional Review Changing the Constitution 13. Conclusion

About the Author

Andrew Blick is Lecturer in Politics and Contemporary History at the Institute of Contemporary British History, King's College London.

Reviews

...a valuable and meticulously researched study which should be read both by those who favour a written constitution - and those who do not...the book is a valuable contribution to the corpus of literature and analysis on UK constitutional history.
*The Clapham Omnibus, Summer 2015*

Andrew Blick's highly intelligent Beyond Magna Carta combines a re-assessment of this ancient text with an argument for new constitutional writing in the UK in the future...
*Times Literary Supplement*

I recommend this book to all with an interest in British and Canadian history, political science or constitutional law.
*Canadian Law Library Review*