United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has an uncodified constitution: its fundamental rules are drawn from statute, common law, constitutional convention and authoritative works rather than a single document. Parliamentary sovereignty is the organising principle, so courts may not strike down primary legislation; instead they interpret statute, review the legality of executive action and, under the Human Rights Act 1998, may issue declarations of incompatibility. Judicial precedent binds lower courts, and the common law developed here has been received across much of the world. The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, which replaced the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords in 2009, is the final court of appeal for civil matters throughout the Union and for criminal matters in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The archive currently holds 12 judgments catalogued under United Kingdom, spanning 23 areas of law.