Assess the impact that Britain's union with Europe has had on the Doctrine of Parliamentary Sovereignty

The United Kingdom became a member of the EC in 1972 when it enacted the European Communities Act (1972). This has has undermined English Domestic legislation and the Supremacy of the Doctrine of Parliamentary Sovereignty. In particular s.2(1) of the Act brings European law firmly within our domestic law and such law is to ' be enforced, allowed and followed accordingly'. s.2(4) of the Act required English Statute law ' to be construed accordingly'. This indeed contradicts our doctrine of Parliamentary sovereignty. In Bulmer v Bollinger (1974), Lord Denning talked of a new source to our law and taking a rather pragmatic approach said :

'The Treaty is like an incoming tide. It flows into the estuaries

and up the rivers. It cannot be held back.'

Prior to this, the U.K. had complete control over the laws made . The doctrine entails that Parliament has absolute control over the law of the land and therefore its people.

Election results since 1979

Political composition of the 7th parliament

Recycle your old batteries

The doctrine also established the fact that new statutes would prevail over statutes previously enacted.

According to jurist and Professor Albert Venn Dicey Parliamentary Sovereignty is:-

' The very keystone of our constitution '

18th Century English Jurist Sir William Blackstone said :-

'What Parliament doth, no authority on earth can undo.'

Parliamentary Sovereignty can be broken up into three important elements: firstly Parliament can make or unmake any law; secondly Parliament cannot bind its successors and lastly Courts cannot question an act of Parliament. Firstly in the light of the European Communities Act 1972 Parliament can still only do this if the legislation is not an EU regulation or directive and is only domestic legislation. Parliament cannot for instance repeal an Act that an EU directive had ordered the government to make as they did in the case of Commission of the...