This episode of Law With Mr. Lafayette focuses on a policy point contained in the annual tradition "across the pond" in the United Kingdom: the State Opening of Parliament. On May 10, 2022, the "Speech from the Throne" was for the first time in over six decades not delivered by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The 96 year old Sovereign had asked her son HRH Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales to fill in for her and to deliver the address on behalf of "Her Majesty's Government" in the Chamber of the House of Lords.
Towards the end of the speech, which is written by the government, Charles mentioned that there would be a bill put forward "...creating a Bill of Rights, restoring the balance between the legislative and judicial branches of government.
Unlike American Constitutional law, in the United Kingdom, there is no single document which is called the constitution. Rather, as can be expected from the land of common law, the constitution consists of some written documents, some unwritten. When discussing the rights of citizens, the storyline begins with 1215 and the Magna Carta and then consists of some parliamentary acts and precedents since then up to the present day.
In the America case, 1791 is when the first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, were adopted by the States. Ask a student of government or of the law and an actual list can be created (using the MLA header of course). The freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, right to peaceably assemble, and petition the government for redress of grievances are just the first five freedoms that American citizens enjoy. These rights, and those that follow, are among "...the declaratory and restrictive clauses" that the States had expressed the desire to have adopted "...in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers" [by the Federal government]. Part of the genius of the Constitution and the 27 amendments that have followed is the restrictions on the power of government in favor of the governed.
