... law through Parliament. Due to the sovereignty of Parliament, statute law is supreme and can override common law. A constitution needs to be able to put certain constraints on the government to prevent a form of elective dictatorship - the media is an important tool in this - the right to freedom of speech. Also the formation of national Parliaments such as the Scottish Parliament helps to ensure the more localised needs of citizens are taken into account. The Parliament of the United Kingdom is one of the oldest representative assemblies in the world. Parliamentary government within the UK is based on a two-chamber system. The House of Lords (the upper House) and the House of Commons (the lower House) sit separately and are constituted on entirely different principles. The legislative process involves both Houses. The main functions of Parliament are to: * Examine proposals for new laws * Provide, by voting for taxation, ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now