Parliamentary Sovereignty

The doctrine that Parliament may make or unmake any law

Overview

Parliamentary sovereignty, classically formulated by A V Dicey, holds that Acts of Parliament are the supreme law, no parliament can bind its successors, and no body may void an act. It distinguishes the British constitution from entrenched, justiciable constitutions. Membership of the European Communities tested it, courts acknowledging a hierarchy of norms while insisting Parliament could withdraw, which it eventually did. Devolution and human rights law operate within, not against, the doctrine, making it still the axis of UK constitutional theory.