The United Kingdom is governed by a constitutional monarchy. The monarch (not a president) is the Head of State, and his or her duties, functions, and powers are limited by convention. One of the rules is that the monarch must be politically apolitical.
The common law system in England and Wales combines the passage of legislation with the development of precedents through case law. The laws are established by the parliament, which consists of the "Monarch," the House of Commons, and the House of Lords, passing legislation. The Prime Minister is typically a member of the House of Commons, which is directly chosen by the people. The judiciary, which is separate from Parliament, is in charge of the court system and case law.
The UK Parliament had three functions. To begin, debate and pass legislation; to continue to scrutinize the government's activities and role, and to offer a system for the government to cover taxes.
The UK Parliament is divided into two houses, and each decision made in one of them must be ratified by the other.
The House of Commons is made up of voting representatives (MPs), and the government is normally formed by the party with the most seats. This is where the majority of the debate on key political issues takes place and where new laws are proposed. The Commons is the only venue where the government's third role is exercised.
Members of the House of Lords are mostly appointed by the Queen, but there are some internally chosen members and a minority from the Church. The Lords play an important role in the passage of new legislation as well as providing strategy and legal advice.
The English legal system's key judicial officer:
- The President of the United Kingdom's Supreme Court (PSC) is the country's highest court of appeal.
- Lord Chief Justice (CJ): Head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Head of the Court of Appeal's Criminal Division Judges is responsible for their training, supervision, and deployment. represents the judiciary's viewpoints to ministers.
- The Master of the Rolls (MR) is the Chief Justice of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal.
Divisional Leaders
The Chancellor is the head of the High Court's Chancery Division.
The President of the Queen's Bench Division (PQBD) is the Chief Justice of the High Court's Queen's Bench Division.
President of the Family Division and Head of Family Justice, President of the High Court's Family Division.
The Lord Chancellor was both the head of the judiciary and a member of the government prior to the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. The Lord Chancellor has been the Minister for Justice in the Ministry of Justice since 2005. His prior powers have been passed to the Lord Chief Justice, who is now the head of the judiciary, and he has no judicial role. Although the independent Judicial Appointments Commission selects judges, the Lord Chancellor retains control over judicial appointments.
The Attorney General (AG) is a politically appointed position. The Attorney General is the government's legal advisor. In key cases, he represents the Crown in court. In relation to acquittals in criminal cases and against too-light penalties, the AG has the authority to refer questions of legality to the Court of Appeal.
The Solicitor General is the Attorney General's deputy.
The independent Crown Prosecution Service is led by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).