The Constitution Unit is an independent and non-partisan research centre based within the Department of Political Science at
University College London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
. It analyses constitutional change and its effects. The unit was founded in 1995 by Robert Hazell and specialises in the study of parliament and parliamentary reform; elections and referendums; monarchy, church and state; devolution; constitution-making; freedom of information legislation; courts and the legal system; and the relationship between the UK and EU.
Background
The Constitution Unit was founded by Robert Hazell in 1995 to conduct detailed research and planning on constitutional reform in the UK. It aims to help policy-makers involved in constitution-making processes by researching constitutional and political developments in and beyond the UK and by assessing the effects of reforms that have taken place.
Since 1995 the unit has produced over 150 reports and briefings on various aspects of constitutional reform, as well as numerous books and articles. Unit members have also frequently acted as advisers to government and parliament, and regularly provide evidence to parliamentary committees and appear in the media.
Activities
The Constitution Unit’s stated aim is to "conduct rigorous, independent research into constitutional change and its consequences with significant real-world impact: informing policy-makers engaged in constitutional reform both in the United Kingdom and around the world."
Historically, the unit has published extensively on issues including
Freedom of Information
Freedom of information is freedom of a person or people to publish and consume information. Access to information is the ability for an individual to seek, receive and impart information effectively. This sometimes includes "scientific, indigeno ...
, judicial appointments and
devolution
Devolution is the statutory delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization. Devolved territories h ...
.
The current Director, Professor Meg Russell, is a well-known expert on the UK parliament, and on two-chamber parliaments (i.e.
bicameralism
Bicameralism is a type of legislature, one divided into two separate Deliberative assembly, assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and ...
) around the world. The unit has produced many reports and papers on the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
and its
reform
Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill#The Yorkshire Associati ...
, and most recently its work on parliament has focused extensively on the extent to which both the House of Commons and the House of Lords influence policy. Two of Russell’s reports have had particular real-world impact. One, in 2000, explored the legality of
all women shortlists for selection of parliamentary candidates, and was followed by legislation to make such shortlists explicitly legal. Another, in 2007, recommended establishment of a
Backbench Business Committee
The Backbench Business Committee of the British House of Commons was created on 15 June 2010 through the adoption of a new standing order. It was created soon after 2010 general election, but had been proposed during the previous Parliament by the ...
for the House of Commons. This recommendation was subsequently taken up by the Select Committee on the Reform of the House of Commons (the ‘
Wright committee
The Reform of the House of Commons Committee (known informally as the Wright Committee after its chair, Tony Wright) was a Select committee of the UK Parliament. It was established in 2009 to improve the procedures and relevance of Parliament. It ...
’) and implemented in 2010.
A 2009 study by the Constitution Unit titled ''"Making Minority Parliament Work: Hung Parliaments and the Challenges for Westminster and Whitehall"'' led to the publication of a
Cabinet manual by the British Government in December 2010. The Constitution Unit, in partnership with the London-based
Institute for Government
The Institute for Government (IfG) is a British independent think tank which aims to improve government effectiveness through research and analysis. Based at 2 Carlton Gardens in central London and founded as a charity in 2008, it was initially ...
, played a key role in the writing of the Manual.
Following the appointment of Professor Alan Renwick as deputy director, the unit has increasingly focused on
deliberative democracy
Deliberative democracy or discursive democracy is a form of democracy in which deliberation is central to decision-making. It adopts elements of both consensus decision-making and majority rule. Deliberative democracy differs from traditional ...
and constitution-making. In 2015, the unit contributed to the organisation of a
citizens’ assembly on English Devolution run by ''Democracy Matters''. In autumn 2017, it ran another citizen’s assembly, this time on the issue of Brexit. The Unit also established an ''Independent Commission on Referendums'' including senior politicians, public officials and academics. It considered the role and conduct of
referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
s in the UK, and reported in July 2018.
The Unit has regularly contributed to the discussion surrounding
Brexit
Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or ...
, notably concerning how Brexit is playing out in parliament and what the outlook is for a further referendum. In October 2018, it published a report titled ''"The Mechanics of a Further Referendum on Brexit"''. The report’s suggestion that such a referendum would take 22 weeks at a minimum was widely referenced during the ongoing debate.
In addition to publications, the Constitution Unit runs a regular series of public seminars on these and other related topics. Contributors include politicians, journalists, academics from the UK and overseas, and various public officials.
Directors
In 2015, former deputy director, Professor Meg Russell replaced Robert Hazell as director of the Constitution Unit. She leads the Unit’s research on parliament. In the same year, Professor Alan Renwick joined the unit from the
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a public university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as University College, Reading, a University of Oxford extension college. The institution received the power to grant its own degrees in 192 ...
and took over as deputy director. He specialises in elections, referendums and deliberative democracy. After twenty years as Director, Robert Hazell stepped down from the role in 2015. He continues to conduct research on the
judiciary
The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...
,
civil service
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
and
monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutional monarchy) ...
.
Publications
The Constitution Unit publishes a triannual newsletter called ''Monitor.'' This contains analysis of constitutional developments in the UK and overseas, and details about the Unit’s research and publications. It also has a blog that features regular posts from academics and practitioners covering a wide range of constitutional issues in the UK and overseas. A full list of the Unit’s publications can be found on its website.
Legacy
The Constitution Unit Archive is housed at the
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...
. The papers can be accessed through the British Library catalogue.
Constitution Unit Archive
archives and manuscripts catalogue, the British Library. Retrieved 2 June 2020
References
External links
The Constitution Unit
{{DEFAULTSORT:Constitution Unit
University College London
Political and economic think tanks based in the United Kingdom