What is Parliamentary Sovereignty?

The traditional definition of parliamentary sovereignty is that there is no legal limit to the laws that can be enacted by Westminster Parliament. All restraints flow from political checks and balances and conventions as opposed to any legal restrictions. 

The UK courts cannot strike down or refuse to apply Acts of Parliament because there are no external constraints upon what Parl can do. Additionally, current parliaments cannot entrench future parliaments as this would place a restriction on that future parliament's sovereignty. There are different models of parliamentary sovereignty argued by academics and even the idea that parliament is not actually sovereign at all. 

Answered by Lauren M. Politics tutor

1899 Views

See similar Politics A Level tutors

Related Politics A Level answers

All answers ▸

Could we have nationalism without nation-states?


Is the EU in Crisis (as a Normative Global Actor)?


What is meant by a bicameral legislature


Why is it that the power of the Prime Minister is so subject to change and variation?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo
Cookie Preferences