Constitutional law worksheet with answers

Judicial independence means that:

1. AJudges decide cases free from pressure from government or other parties
2. BJudges cannot be bound by statute
3. CJudges are elected by the public
4. DJudges may set aside any statute they consider unjust or contrary to good policy

In the UK, after a bill passes both Houses of Parliament, it becomes an Act when it receives:

1. AJudicial approval
2. BRoyal Assent
3. CA referendum vote
4. DCabinet confirmation

A federal state is one in which:

1. APower is constitutionally divided between a central government and regions
2. BRegions may secede unilaterally whenever a majority of their voters wishes
3. CAll power is held by the capital city
4. DThere is no central government

In R v Bow Street Magistrate, ex p Pinochet (No 2), the House of Lords set aside its own earlier decision because:

1. APinochet had not been given a lawyer of his own choice at the hearing
2. BThe judges had made a legal mistake
3. COne judge had links to a charity that was a party to the case
4. DThe case had been heard in private

A minister refuses to refer a complaint to a committee because the result might embarrass the government. In Padfield v Minister of Agriculture, the House of Lords held:

1. AThe refusal was lawful, since the Act imposed no duty to give reasons
2. BOnly Parliament could question the minister
3. CThe refusal was unlawful, as it frustrated the purpose of the Act
4. DThe minister had unlimited discretion

Under section 2 of the UK Human Rights Act 1998, UK courts must, when deciding Convention rights questions:

1. AFollow every relevant Strasbourg judgment strictly, as binding precedent
2. BRefer all questions to Strasbourg
3. CIgnore Strasbourg case law
4. DTake into account judgments of the European Court of Human Rights

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 R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the EU (2017), the Supreme Court said about the Sewel convention that:

1. AIt became legally binding when written into statute
2. BIt applies only to Northern Ireland
3. CIt requires Scottish consent to the UK's withdrawal from the EU
4. DIt is a political convention that courts cannot enforce