King’s Maps a Written Constitution

Researchers at King's have published a report that, for the first time, sets out in one document the issues that need to be resolved in seeking agreement, or otherwise, on the principle of the UK adopting a written constitution. Robert Blackburn, Professor of Constitutional Law and Director of the Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies at King's, is leading this impartial research project which is funded by the Nuffield Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. What makes the research of special significance is that it has been commissioned by the House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee and is being used as the basis for a national consultation on the subject. The report assesses the key characteristics of the UK's constitution in its current 'uncodified' form and goes on to discuss the desirability, or otherwise, of consolidating a written document or 'codification' and the consequences, and matters arising, in doing so. It looks at the process required to affect formalisation and the issues that need consideration around such a process. Professor Blackburn said: 'Few subjects could be of larger political significance than the question of a written constitution for the government of the UK, an idea which has gathered momentum from the mid-1970s when senior Conservatives called for this reform, up to the 2010 general election when Labour and Liberal Democrats both signalled their support for a written constitution in their manifestos.