The Strengths and Weaknesses of Britain's 'Traditional Constitution' Essay

The Strengths and Weaknesses of Britain's 'Traditional Constitution' - Essay Example Any state whether large or small should have important and elemental values which enable efficient and effective governance. It is these rules that show a picture of the country’s values and nature. They bring out the character of the state as dictated by the understanding of the citizens of the laws based on whether they are laws or a formulation of how things should be done. As much as the state may formulate these laws independently and uniquely, some common characteristics can be identified in many states’ laws or in the general administration. For many nations and states, there are laws and rules that govern the conduct of people or provide guidance on the way of life. In Britain though, this is not the case. Unlike most states in the world, the country lacks the formal and legal documents that bring forth the procedures or arrangements by which the country is to be governed. It lacks the set of main values, norms and upholding by which the state is to be administe red. Types of constitutions A constitution is a set of rules that govern the administration in a state and the government on the mode of administration1.There are various methods that are used to classify types of constitutions. A constitution can be codified or not codified, federal or unitary and flexible or rigid. A codified constitution is usually based in one document and is more likely to be inflexible while a federal constitution divides power into two parts of the government2. Written and unwritten The words written and unwritten refer to the way in which the constitution is formulated and the main distinction is brought out by whether the constitution is brought out in a single or a set of documents or whether it is just an assembly of various sources. A written constitution is usually presented in a document or a series of documents and this is common in almost all the countries. An unwritten constitution is one that is not expressed in a document or even a set of document s. Britain is an example of country that lacks a written constitution though some of its parts may be in written form. Any written document provides a clear guideline and is more authentic thus is seen more legally and can be easily endorsed than the unwritten one3. Rigid and flexible A constitution contains the basic principles that govern the mode of administration of any state. Basically making these rules is based on the aspect of continuity and thus lack of alteration. In the event of alterations, there are specific channels that are followed. The ease with which a constitution can be altered to suit the changing times reflects its flexibility. If therefore a constitution follows a long channel and is basically subject to a process which is restrictive before the laws can be changed, it is referred to be rigid. In the case of Britain that lacks a written constitution; the case of rigidity is actually questionable and may be less. If a bill formulated and passed in the parliamen t receives the royal pass on, it becomes effective since there is no higher restrictive force or body to create difficulties4. Therefore, the laws are subject to changes since there is no procedure earlier formulated and put down to change particular laws. The flexibility of the constitution in unmentionable and the laws are made by the parliament with no higher body to make them. The parliament tends to receive less restriction and the constitution also contains the non- legal part which is