DoRevision Sign up free

Making Law, the Constitution and Devolution

How does a bill become law? What is the UK constitution, and how does devolution share power across the nations? Work through law-making, the constitution and devolution.

⏱️ 17 min 🎯 14 activities Teachers Not yet rated Students Not yet rated

Revise this, the fun way

Play it interactively, earn XP and build a streak, free.

Start revising free

What you'll cover

How laws are made 🏛️

How are laws made in the UK, and what rules shape our system of government? This module covers **how a bill becomes law**, the UK's **uncodified constitution**, and **devolution** across the nations of the UK.

Key terms 📖

Learn these before you begin:

How a bill becomes law

An interactive activity.

What is royal assent?

What is royal assent?

  • The monarch formally approves a bill so it becomes law
  • A debate between MPs in the Commons
  • A public vote on a new law
  • A committee examining a bill line by line

The UK constitution 📋

The UK has an **uncodified constitution**: its rules are not written in a single document, but come from laws, conventions and court cases. A key principle is **parliamentary sovereignty**, meaning Parliament is the supreme law-making body and can make or change any law.

Match each term to its meaning

  • Uncodified constitution
  • Parliamentary sovereignty
  • Judicial review
  • Royal assent
  • Not written in one single document
  • Parliament is the supreme law-maker
  • Courts can review government actions
  • The monarch approves a bill into law

Checks and balances

Select the TWO ways power is checked in the UK system.

  • Judicial review, where courts can review government actions
  • Parliament scrutinising and holding the government to account
  • The monarch personally writing all new laws
  • Removing all courts from the system

Devolution across the UK 🗺️

**Devolution** transfers some powers from the UK Parliament to national bodies: the **Scottish Parliament**, the **Welsh Senedd** and the **Northern Ireland Assembly**. They can make decisions in areas like health and education, while matters such as defence stay with the UK Parliament at Westminster.

Match each body to the nation it serves

  • Scottish Parliament
  • Welsh Senedd
  • Northern Ireland Assembly
  • The UK Parliament at Westminster
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Northern Ireland
  • The whole United Kingdom

What is devolution?

What does devolution mean?

  • Transferring some powers from the UK Parliament to national bodies
  • Abolishing the UK Parliament completely
  • Giving all power to the monarch
  • Making the same laws for every country in the world

Law and constitution frame

A bill becomes an _____ after it passes both Houses and receives royal _____. The UK has an _____ constitution, not written in one document. _____ has transferred some powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Act assent uncodified Devolution order respect written Election

How the constitution changes

Parliamentary _____ means Parliament is the supreme law-maker. Courts can check the government through judicial _____. The uncodified constitution changes over time, for example through _____ and through the UK's _____ membership of the European Union.

sovereignty review devolution former monarchy appeal tradition current

Apply it

An interactive activity.

Explain law-making

An interactive activity.