Using numerous topical examples and a clear structure, this third edition textbook provides an accessible, discursive and scholarly treatment of the key contemporary issues in UK public law. Drawing upon their extensive teaching and research experience, Roger Masterman and Colin Murray offer an engaging account of the key topics which make up a constitutional and administrative, or public, law syllabus. Controversial issues and broader debates are highlighted throughout the text, allowing the reader to develop a strong understanding of both the application of key topics in the field and the socio-political context in which the constitution has developed. This fully revised edition includes detailed analysis of recent significant cases, the constitutional implications of the Covid-19 pandemic and a dedicated chapter on the consequences of Brexit.

Roger Masterman is Professor of Constitutional Law at Durham Law School, where he teaches UK Constitutional Law and Comparative Constitutional Law. He is Joint General Editor of the journal Public Law, and a member of the executive committee of the UK Constitutional Law Association.

Preface to the third edition; Acknowledgements; Table of cases; Table of statutes; Part I. Constitutional Regulation in the Absence of a Codified Constitution; 1. The purposes and characteristics of constitutions; 2. The domestic sources of the UK Constitution; 3. The UK Constitution and international legal orders; 4. Brexit and the UK Constitution; 5. Law, politics and the nature of the United Kingdom Constitution; Part II. The Theory and Practice of the United Kingdom Constitution; 6. Parliamentary sovereignty; 7. The rule of law; 8. Separation of powers; 9. Principles of political and parliamentary accountability; Part III. Central Government in the United Kingdom; 10. The executive; 11. Parliament (I): the House of Commons; 12. Parliament (II): the House of Lords; 13. The United Kingdom Supreme Court and the office of Lord Chancellor: towards an independent judicial branch?; Part IV. Decentralised Government in the United Kingdom; 14. The United Kingdom's devolution arrangements; 15. Devolution and the UK Constitution; Part V. Accountability (I): Scrutiny, Openness and Good Administration; 16. Parliamentary scrutiny of government; 17. The Parliamentary Ombudsman; 18. Freedom of information; Part VI. Accountability (II): The Courts; 19. Judicial review of administrative action ¿ theory, procedure and remedies; 20. Judicial review of administrative action ¿ grounds for review; 21. The European Convention on human rights; 22. The Human Rights Act 1998; 23. Political freedoms and democratic participation; Index.