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THE NATURE AND PROBLEMS OF THE ROYAL PREROGATIVE IN THE ENGLISH LEGAL SYSTEM

Year 2024, Volume: 32 Issue: 2, 1061 - 1095, 28.06.2024
https://doi.org/10.15337/suhfd.1410591

Abstract

The concept and role of the Royal prerogative in the United Kingdom remain unclear and controversial. Particularly, prerogatives of Charles III, who was newly ascended to the throne, and notable cases such as R (Miller) v The Prime Minister have reignited discussions on the position of prerogatives.
This article explains the concept, position, and functions of prerogatives to underscore their importance in the English legal system, contrary to claims that they are anachronistic and dysfunctional. To achieve this, the article explores traditional and contemporary definitions to comprehend the concept and then address the origin and evolution of prerogatives throughout history, examining the features they possess today because of these changes. This helps classifying them and addressing the limiting factors. Finally, the article demonstrates how ministers, and the monarch are prevented from violating the law when exercising prerogatives. Thus, it asserts the existence of prerogatives will endure within the UK constitution.

References

  • BAGEHOT, Walter. The English Constitution. In: [accessed 2019-04-23]. Available at: <https://socialsciences.mcmaster.ca/econ/ugcm/3ll3/bagehot/constitution.pdf>
  • BARTLETT, Gail – EVERETT, Michael. The Royal Prerogative. [onli-ne]. 2017 [accessed 2019-04-23]. Available at: <https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN03861>
  • BEINLICH, Leander. Royal Prerogative. In: Oxford Constitutions. DOI: 10.1093/law-mpeccol/e773.013.773
  • BLACKBURN, Robert. King and Country: Monarchy and the Future King Charles III. London: Politico’s Publishing Ltd, 2006. ISBN 978-1-84275-141-1.
  • BLACKSTONE, Sir William. Commentaries on the Laws of England. London, 1765.
  • BOGDANOR, Vernon. The Appointment of a Prime Minister. In: BOGDANOR, Vernon. The Monarchy and the Constitution. 1. edition. Oxford University PressOxford, 1997, pp. 84–112. ISBN 978-0-19-829334-7. DOI: 10.1093/0198293348.003.0004
  • BOGDANOR, Vernon. The Basic Constitutional Rules: Influence and the Prerogative. In: BOGDANOR, Vernon. The Monarchy and the Constitution. 1. edition. Oxford University PressOxford, 1997, pp. 61–83. ISBN 978-0-19-829334-7. DOI: 10.1093/0198293348.003.0003
  • BOGDANOR, Vernon. The Monarchy and the Constitution. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 978-0-19-829334-7.
  • BOGDANOR, Vernon. The Monarchy and the Constitution. Parlia-mentary Affairs. 1996, vol. 49, no. 3, pp. 407–422.
  • BRADLEY, A W – EWING, K D – KNIGHT, C J S. Constitutional and Administrative Law. 17. edition. Pearson, 2018.
  • BRADLEY, A. W. – EWING, K. D. – KNIGHT, Christopher. Constitu-tional and administrative law. Eighteenth edition. edition. Har-low, England ; New York: Pearson Education Limited, 2022. ISBN 978-1-292-40277-2.
  • BRAZIER, Rodney. Constitutional Reform and the Crown. In: SUN-KIN, Maurice – PAYNE, Sebastian (eds.). The Nature of the Crown. Oxford University Press, 1999, pp. 337–362. ISBN 978-0-19-826273-2. DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198262732.003.0013
  • BRAZIER, Rodney. The Monarchy. In: BOGDANOR, Vernon (ed.). The British Constitution in the Twentieth Century. British Aca-demy, 2004.
  • CRAIG, Paul. Prerogative, Precedent and Power. In: FORSYTH, Christopher – HARE, Ivan (eds.). The Golden Metwand and the Crooked CordEssays in Honour of Sir William Wade QC. Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 978-0-19-826469-9. DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198264699.001.0001.
  • DICEY, Albert V. Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution. 8Rev Ed edition. edition. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund Inc, 1982. ISBN 978-0-86597-003-8.
  • JENNINGS, Ivor. Cabinet Government. 3 edition. edition. London: Cambridge University Press, 1969. ISBN 978-0-521-09570-9.
  • KEIR, D.L. – LAWSON, F.H. Cases in Constitutional Law. Oxford Uni-versity Press, 1979.
  • LEYLAND, Peter. Constitution of the United Kingdom: A Contextual Analysis. 2nd. edition. Hart Publishing, 2012.
  • LEYLAND, Peter. The constitution of the United Kingdom: a contextual analysis. Fourth edition. edition. Gordonsville: Hart Publis-hing, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021. Constitutio-nal systems of the world. ISBN 978-1-5099-4554-2.
  • LOUGHLIN, Martin. The State, the Crown and the Law. In: SUN-KIN, Maurice – PAYNE, Sebastian (eds.). The Nature of the Crown. Oxford University Press, 1999, pp. 33–76. ISBN 978-0-19-826273-2. DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198262732.003.0003.
  • LOVELAND, Ian. Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, and Human Rights: A Critical Introduction. 8. edition. Oxford University Press, 2018.
  • MARKESINIS, B. S. The Royal Prerogative Re-Visited. The Cambridge Law Journal. 1973, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 287–309.
  • MASTERMAN, Roger – MURRAY, Colin. Constitutional and administ-rative law. Third edition. edition. Cambridge, United King-dom ; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2022. ISBN 978-1-00-915848-0.
  • NORTON, Philip. THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION OF 1688 ITS CONTINUING RELEVANCE. Parliamentary Affairs. 1989, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 135–147.
  • OFFICE, Cabinet. Explanatory Notes to Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011. In: [accessed 2023-12-25]. Available at: <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/14/notes/contents>
  • SUNKIN, Maurice – PAYNE, Sebastian (eds.). The Nature of the Crown - A Legal and Political Analysis. Oxford ; New York: OUP Oxford, 1999. ISBN 978-0-19-826273.
  • TOMKINS, Adam. Public Law. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 2003. ISBN 978-0-19-926077-5.
  • TURPIN, Colin – TOMKINS, Adam. British government and the consti-tution: text and materials. 7th ed. edition. Cambridge ; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Law in context se-ries. ISBN 978-0-521-18511-0.
  • WADE, William. The Crown, Ministers and Officials: Legal Status and Liability. In: SUNKIN, Maurice – PAYNE, Sebastian (eds.). The Nature of the Crown. Oxford University Press, 1999, pp. 22–32. ISBN 978-0-19-826273-2. DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198262732.003.0002.
  • WOOLF, Harry et al. De Smith’s judicial review. 7th edition. edition. London: Sweet & Maxwell, 2013. ISBN 978-0-414-04215-5.
  • Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022: Progress through Par-liament - House of Commons Library. In: [accessed 2023-12-25]. Available at: <https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9308/> Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011. In: [accessed 2019-04-23]. Available at: <http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/14/section/1/enacted.
  • Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 - House of Commons Library. In: [accessed 2023-12-25]. Available at: <https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06111/> House of Commons - Political and Constitutional Reform - No - Mi-nutes of Evidence: HC 975. In: [accessed 2023-12-25]. Avai-lable at: <https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmpolcon/975i-ii/130207.htm>
  • Taming the Prerogative: Strengthening Ministerial Accountability to Parli-ament Fourth Report of Session 2003–04 [online]. House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee, 2004 [ac-cessed 2022-12-24]. Available at: <https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmpubadm/422/422.pdf> The Cabinet Manual A guide to laws, conventions and rules on the operation of government [online]. 2011 [accessed 2022-12-22]. Available at: <https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a79d5d7e5274a18ba50f2b6/cabinet-manual.pdf. The governance of Britain : review of the executive royal prerogative powers : final report [online].
  • Great Britain Ministry of Justice, 2009. Available at: <https://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2009-2493/DEP2009-2493.pdf>

THE NATURE AND PROBLEMS OF THE ROYAL PREROGATIVE IN THE ENGLISH LEGAL SYSTEM

Year 2024, Volume: 32 Issue: 2, 1061 - 1095, 28.06.2024
https://doi.org/10.15337/suhfd.1410591

Abstract

The concept and role of the Royal prerogative in the United Kingdom remain unclear and controversial. Particularly, prerogatives of Charles III, who was newly ascended to the throne, and notable cases such as R (Miller) v The Prime Minister have reignited discussions on the position of prerogatives.
This article explains the concept, position, and functions of prerogatives to underscore their importance in the English legal system, contrary to claims that they are anachronistic and dysfunctional. To achieve this, the article explores traditional and contemporary definitions to comprehend the concept and then address the origin and evolution of prerogatives throughout history, examining the features they possess today because of these changes. This helps classifying them and addressing the limiting factors. Finally, the article demonstrates how ministers, and the monarch are prevented from violating the law when exercising prerogatives. Thus, it asserts the existence of prerogatives will endure within the UK constitution.

References

  • BAGEHOT, Walter. The English Constitution. In: [accessed 2019-04-23]. Available at: <https://socialsciences.mcmaster.ca/econ/ugcm/3ll3/bagehot/constitution.pdf>
  • BARTLETT, Gail – EVERETT, Michael. The Royal Prerogative. [onli-ne]. 2017 [accessed 2019-04-23]. Available at: <https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN03861>
  • BEINLICH, Leander. Royal Prerogative. In: Oxford Constitutions. DOI: 10.1093/law-mpeccol/e773.013.773
  • BLACKBURN, Robert. King and Country: Monarchy and the Future King Charles III. London: Politico’s Publishing Ltd, 2006. ISBN 978-1-84275-141-1.
  • BLACKSTONE, Sir William. Commentaries on the Laws of England. London, 1765.
  • BOGDANOR, Vernon. The Appointment of a Prime Minister. In: BOGDANOR, Vernon. The Monarchy and the Constitution. 1. edition. Oxford University PressOxford, 1997, pp. 84–112. ISBN 978-0-19-829334-7. DOI: 10.1093/0198293348.003.0004
  • BOGDANOR, Vernon. The Basic Constitutional Rules: Influence and the Prerogative. In: BOGDANOR, Vernon. The Monarchy and the Constitution. 1. edition. Oxford University PressOxford, 1997, pp. 61–83. ISBN 978-0-19-829334-7. DOI: 10.1093/0198293348.003.0003
  • BOGDANOR, Vernon. The Monarchy and the Constitution. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 978-0-19-829334-7.
  • BOGDANOR, Vernon. The Monarchy and the Constitution. Parlia-mentary Affairs. 1996, vol. 49, no. 3, pp. 407–422.
  • BRADLEY, A W – EWING, K D – KNIGHT, C J S. Constitutional and Administrative Law. 17. edition. Pearson, 2018.
  • BRADLEY, A. W. – EWING, K. D. – KNIGHT, Christopher. Constitu-tional and administrative law. Eighteenth edition. edition. Har-low, England ; New York: Pearson Education Limited, 2022. ISBN 978-1-292-40277-2.
  • BRAZIER, Rodney. Constitutional Reform and the Crown. In: SUN-KIN, Maurice – PAYNE, Sebastian (eds.). The Nature of the Crown. Oxford University Press, 1999, pp. 337–362. ISBN 978-0-19-826273-2. DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198262732.003.0013
  • BRAZIER, Rodney. The Monarchy. In: BOGDANOR, Vernon (ed.). The British Constitution in the Twentieth Century. British Aca-demy, 2004.
  • CRAIG, Paul. Prerogative, Precedent and Power. In: FORSYTH, Christopher – HARE, Ivan (eds.). The Golden Metwand and the Crooked CordEssays in Honour of Sir William Wade QC. Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 978-0-19-826469-9. DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198264699.001.0001.
  • DICEY, Albert V. Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution. 8Rev Ed edition. edition. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund Inc, 1982. ISBN 978-0-86597-003-8.
  • JENNINGS, Ivor. Cabinet Government. 3 edition. edition. London: Cambridge University Press, 1969. ISBN 978-0-521-09570-9.
  • KEIR, D.L. – LAWSON, F.H. Cases in Constitutional Law. Oxford Uni-versity Press, 1979.
  • LEYLAND, Peter. Constitution of the United Kingdom: A Contextual Analysis. 2nd. edition. Hart Publishing, 2012.
  • LEYLAND, Peter. The constitution of the United Kingdom: a contextual analysis. Fourth edition. edition. Gordonsville: Hart Publis-hing, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021. Constitutio-nal systems of the world. ISBN 978-1-5099-4554-2.
  • LOUGHLIN, Martin. The State, the Crown and the Law. In: SUN-KIN, Maurice – PAYNE, Sebastian (eds.). The Nature of the Crown. Oxford University Press, 1999, pp. 33–76. ISBN 978-0-19-826273-2. DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198262732.003.0003.
  • LOVELAND, Ian. Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, and Human Rights: A Critical Introduction. 8. edition. Oxford University Press, 2018.
  • MARKESINIS, B. S. The Royal Prerogative Re-Visited. The Cambridge Law Journal. 1973, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 287–309.
  • MASTERMAN, Roger – MURRAY, Colin. Constitutional and administ-rative law. Third edition. edition. Cambridge, United King-dom ; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2022. ISBN 978-1-00-915848-0.
  • NORTON, Philip. THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION OF 1688 ITS CONTINUING RELEVANCE. Parliamentary Affairs. 1989, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 135–147.
  • OFFICE, Cabinet. Explanatory Notes to Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011. In: [accessed 2023-12-25]. Available at: <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/14/notes/contents>
  • SUNKIN, Maurice – PAYNE, Sebastian (eds.). The Nature of the Crown - A Legal and Political Analysis. Oxford ; New York: OUP Oxford, 1999. ISBN 978-0-19-826273.
  • TOMKINS, Adam. Public Law. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 2003. ISBN 978-0-19-926077-5.
  • TURPIN, Colin – TOMKINS, Adam. British government and the consti-tution: text and materials. 7th ed. edition. Cambridge ; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Law in context se-ries. ISBN 978-0-521-18511-0.
  • WADE, William. The Crown, Ministers and Officials: Legal Status and Liability. In: SUNKIN, Maurice – PAYNE, Sebastian (eds.). The Nature of the Crown. Oxford University Press, 1999, pp. 22–32. ISBN 978-0-19-826273-2. DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198262732.003.0002.
  • WOOLF, Harry et al. De Smith’s judicial review. 7th edition. edition. London: Sweet & Maxwell, 2013. ISBN 978-0-414-04215-5.
  • Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022: Progress through Par-liament - House of Commons Library. In: [accessed 2023-12-25]. Available at: <https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9308/> Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011. In: [accessed 2019-04-23]. Available at: <http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/14/section/1/enacted.
  • Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 - House of Commons Library. In: [accessed 2023-12-25]. Available at: <https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06111/> House of Commons - Political and Constitutional Reform - No - Mi-nutes of Evidence: HC 975. In: [accessed 2023-12-25]. Avai-lable at: <https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmpolcon/975i-ii/130207.htm>
  • Taming the Prerogative: Strengthening Ministerial Accountability to Parli-ament Fourth Report of Session 2003–04 [online]. House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee, 2004 [ac-cessed 2022-12-24]. Available at: <https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmpubadm/422/422.pdf> The Cabinet Manual A guide to laws, conventions and rules on the operation of government [online]. 2011 [accessed 2022-12-22]. Available at: <https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a79d5d7e5274a18ba50f2b6/cabinet-manual.pdf. The governance of Britain : review of the executive royal prerogative powers : final report [online].
  • Great Britain Ministry of Justice, 2009. Available at: <https://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2009-2493/DEP2009-2493.pdf>
There are 34 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Constitutional Law
Journal Section RESEARCH ARTICLES
Authors

Nurullah Görgen 0000-0002-7713-8273

Early Pub Date June 11, 2024
Publication Date June 28, 2024
Submission Date December 27, 2023
Acceptance Date June 10, 2024
Published in Issue Year 2024 Volume: 32 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Görgen, N. (2024). THE NATURE AND PROBLEMS OF THE ROYAL PREROGATIVE IN THE ENGLISH LEGAL SYSTEM. Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi, 32(2), 1061-1095. https://doi.org/10.15337/suhfd.1410591
AMA Görgen N. THE NATURE AND PROBLEMS OF THE ROYAL PREROGATIVE IN THE ENGLISH LEGAL SYSTEM. Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi. June 2024;32(2):1061-1095. doi:10.15337/suhfd.1410591
Chicago Görgen, Nurullah. “THE NATURE AND PROBLEMS OF THE ROYAL PREROGATIVE IN THE ENGLISH LEGAL SYSTEM”. Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi 32, no. 2 (June 2024): 1061-95. https://doi.org/10.15337/suhfd.1410591.
EndNote Görgen N (June 1, 2024) THE NATURE AND PROBLEMS OF THE ROYAL PREROGATIVE IN THE ENGLISH LEGAL SYSTEM. Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi 32 2 1061–1095.
IEEE N. Görgen, “THE NATURE AND PROBLEMS OF THE ROYAL PREROGATIVE IN THE ENGLISH LEGAL SYSTEM”, Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 1061–1095, 2024, doi: 10.15337/suhfd.1410591.
ISNAD Görgen, Nurullah. “THE NATURE AND PROBLEMS OF THE ROYAL PREROGATIVE IN THE ENGLISH LEGAL SYSTEM”. Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi 32/2 (June 2024), 1061-1095. https://doi.org/10.15337/suhfd.1410591.
JAMA Görgen N. THE NATURE AND PROBLEMS OF THE ROYAL PREROGATIVE IN THE ENGLISH LEGAL SYSTEM. Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi. 2024;32:1061–1095.
MLA Görgen, Nurullah. “THE NATURE AND PROBLEMS OF THE ROYAL PREROGATIVE IN THE ENGLISH LEGAL SYSTEM”. Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 32, no. 2, 2024, pp. 1061-95, doi:10.15337/suhfd.1410591.
Vancouver Görgen N. THE NATURE AND PROBLEMS OF THE ROYAL PREROGATIVE IN THE ENGLISH LEGAL SYSTEM. Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi. 2024;32(2):1061-95.