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provide for the drawing up of a written constitution for the United Kingdom; |
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for its consideration by the people and Parliament of the United Kingdom; |
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and for connected purposes. |
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Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and |
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consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present |
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Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:— |
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(1) | Within three months of the passing of this Act, the Speaker of the House of |
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Commons shall convene a Speaker's Conference to consider the matter of a |
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written constitution for the United Kingdom, to draw up a draft of such a |
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constitution (“the draft constitution”), and to consider such related matters as |
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the Conference shall think fit. |
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(2) | There shall be eleven members of the Conference, of whom one shall be the |
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Speaker of the House of Commons as Chairman. |
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(3) | The Speaker of the House of Commons shall appoint the members of the |
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Conference after consulting with such persons and bodies as he considers to be |
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appropriate, and shall make such further appointments as may be required. |
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(4) | The Conference shall have power to make such rules for the conduct of its |
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business as are required. |
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(5) | The Conference shall have power to appoint such staff as it considers necessary |
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for the conduct of its business. |
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(6) | The provisions of the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921 (c. 7) shall apply |
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2 | Matters to be included in draft constitution |
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In drawing up the draft constitution, the Conference shall make provision |
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(a) | the separation of constitutional powers as between the Executive and |
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(b) | the protection of individual and collective rights; |
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(c) | the entrenchment of the Constitution as eventually approved (“the |
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(d) | methods of amendment of the Constitution; |
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(e) | the relationship between the provisions of the draft constitution and |
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the legal and judicial systems of the United Kingdom; and |
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(f) | any other matters the Conference may think fit. |
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3 | Reports of the Conference |
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(1) | Not later than twelve months after the passing of this Act the Speaker of the |
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House of Commons shall lay before each House of Parliament, and cause to be |
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published, the draft constitution drawn up by the Conference, together with |
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any report by the Conference on the discharge of its duties under this Act. |
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(2) | The draft constitution shall be drawn up in the form of a Bill, and shall contain |
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a provision that its commencement shall be dependent on approval by |
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referendum under section 4(6) below. |
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(3) | The Conference may make such interim reports on the discharge of its duties |
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under this Act as it sees fit. |
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(4) | Any such interim report shall be laid before each House of Parliament and |
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published as provided for in subsection (1) above. |
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(5) | The Conference shall continue in being after the draft constitution has been laid |
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before each House of Parliament. |
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(1) | Not later than two months after the draft constitution has been laid before each |
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House of Parliament, the Prime Minister shall present to the House of |
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Commons a Bill embodying the draft constitution, the text of which shall be the |
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same in all respects as that approved by the Conference. |
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(2) | Immediately upon the passing of the Bill embodying the draft constitution, the |
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Prime Minister shall make arrangements for the holding of a referendum to |
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consider the draft constitution (“the referendum”). |
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(3) | The referendum shall be held within three months of the passing of the Bill. |
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(4) | The administrative arrangements for the referendum and the requirements for |
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the qualification of voters shall, so far as is practicable, follow those for a |
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(5) | The Conference may give such advice as may be required in connection with |
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the holding of the referendum. |
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(6) | Approval or rejection of the draft constitution shall be by a simple majority of |
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those voting in the referendum. |
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(7) | Any matters of doubt or dispute in the conduct of the referendum shall be |
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decided by the Conference, the decision of which shall be final, and in respect |
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of which no proceedings shall lie. |
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Constitutional Reform Bill |
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To provide for the drawing up of a written constitution for the United |
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Kingdom; for its consideration by the people and Parliament of the United |
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Kingdom; and for connected purposes. |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ordered, by The House of Commons, |
| | | | | to be Printed, 23rd May 2007. |
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© Parliamentary copyright House of Commons 2007
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Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to the Copyright Unit,
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Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, St. Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich, NR3 1BQ
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PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF THE House of Commons
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LONDON — THE STATIONERY OFFICE LIMITED
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Printed in the United Kingdom by
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The Stationery Office Limited
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