Richard Gordon KC, a member of Brick Court Chambers, London, is recognised as one of the UK's leading silks in administrative and public law and human rights. He is a Visiting Professor at University College London and at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He has acted in many of the most important public law and human rights cases in recent years, and appears regularly before the House of Lords and Court of Appeal and in foreign jurisdictions as well as before the ECJ and European Court of Human Rights.
Glossary of Essential Terms
Part 1: Setting the Scene
1. Outline of the Book
2. Why We Need a Written Constitution
3. Power to the People
4. Power-sustaining Devices
5. Parliamentary Sovereignty
6. No-one Ever Voted for Parliamentary Sovereignty
7. Why Parliamentary Sovereignty Doesn't Work
8. The Need for a Public Debate
9. The Virtues of Representative Democracy
10. Drafting a Written Constitution: The Practicalities
11. Contents of a Written Constitution
12. Repairing British Politics: The Proposals
13. Towards the Future
Key Points
Part 2: A Draft Constitution for the United Kingdom
Preamble
1. The State and the Constitution (Arts 1-9)
2. Lawmaking (Arts 10-31)
3. The House of Representatives (Arts 32-56)
4. The Senate (Arts 57-97)
5. Executive Government (Arts 88-118)
6. Emergency Powers (Arts 119-127)
7. Political Parties (Arts 128-135)
8. The Judiciary (Arts 136-173)
9. Fundamental Rights, Freedoms and Responsibilities (Arts 174-224)
10. The Citizens' Branch (Arts 225-229)
11. Other Aspects of Government (Arts 230-242)
12. Constitutional Conventions (Arts 243-245)
13. Constitutional Changes and Referendums (Arts 246-252)
14. Interpretation and Final Matters (Arts 253-255)
Part 3: The Constitution of Britain (Referendums) Act
1. Referendum on a Written Constitution
2. Second Referendum on the Content of a Written Constitution
3. Implementation of the Second Referendum
4. Supplementary
5. Schedules
