Constitutional law worksheet with answers

A federal state is one in which:

1. AAll power is held by the capital city
2. BThere is no central government
3. CRegions may secede unilaterally whenever a majority of their voters wishes
4. DPower is constitutionally divided between a central government and regions

The UK convention of collective ministerial responsibility means that:

1. AMinisters are elected together as a group
2. BAll ministers are jointly liable in court for government decisions
3. CMinisters must publicly support government decisions or resign
4. DEach minister can veto Cabinet decisions

An ombudsman typically:

1. AProsecutes criminal offences committed by ministers and civil servants
2. BHears appeals from the highest court
3. CDrafts legislation for parliament
4. DInvestigates complaints of maladministration by public bodies

Which rights in the ECHR are absolute and allow no derogation even in an emergency?

1. AThe prohibition of torture (Article 3)
2. BFreedom of expression (Article 10)
3. CFreedom of assembly (Article 11)
4. DRight to respect for private life (Article 8)

In Pickin v British Railways Board, the House of Lords held that courts:

1. AMust investigate any allegation of fraud in Parliament
2. BCan strike down a private Act if it is shown that Parliament was misled during its passage
3. CWill not examine whether Parliament followed its internal procedures in passing an Act
4. DCan review Acts for compliance with private bill rules

In Lingens v Austria, the European Court of Human Rights held that politicians:

1. ACannot sue for defamation at all
2. BMust tolerate wider criticism than private individuals
3. CHave no rights under Article 10
4. DAre fully protected from any criticism

In R (Nicklinson) v Ministry of Justice (2014), concerning the ban on assisted suicide, the majority of the UK Supreme Court:

1. AMade a declaration of incompatibility with Article 8, while leaving the ban itself in force for now
2. BDeclined to make a declaration of incompatibility at that time, leaving it to Parliament
3. CRead the ban down under section 3 to allow assisted dying
4. DHeld that Article 8 was not engaged at all

In Brown v Board of Education (1954), the US Supreme Court held that racial segregation in public schools:

1. AViolated only the First Amendment
2. BViolated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
3. CWas constitutional so long as the separate facilities were of equal quality
4. DWas a matter for each state alone