PART X
CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE
51 Commission
for Democracy
(1) There is established by this Constitution
a Commission for Democracy, whose composition shall comprise -
(a) not more than 16 members;
(b) members to be appointed, in equal numbers
from among their members, by the House of Commons and the Second
Chamber, as soon as practicable after the House first meets following
a general election;
(c) co-opted members who are not members of Parliament,
but the co-opted members shall not exceed one third of the total
membership of the Commission;
(d) a Chairman who shall be elected by the members
from among their own number;
provided that no minister shall be a member of the
Commission.
(2) The Commission shall have functions and duties
to -
(a) keep under review the working of the Constitution
and the Constitutional legislation;
(b) report its findings annually to Parliament,
together with any recommendations for the amendment of the Constitution
or such legislation; and
(c) prepare Codes of Conduct and other guidelines
concerning the standards of conduct with which persons may reasonably
be expected to comply when holding a public office to which they
have been appointed or elected by virtue of being persons elected
to either House of Parliament, to an Assembly or to a local authority.
52 Amendment
to the Constitution
(1) An Act of Parliament may amend this Article,
Part VII (the Individual and the State), Article 14(1) to (13)
(Head of State), Articles 7, 8, 9 and 12 (the Executive), Articles
15, 16 and 17 (Legislative Power), Article 30 (European Union),
Articles 31, 32 and 33 (Devolved Government), Article 35 (Local
Government), Articles 25, 26 and 27 (Elections), if the Bill for
the Act is supported by -
(a) the votes of not less than two-thirds of
all the members of the House of Commons at its final reading therein,
and
(b) by the votes of not less than two-thirds
of all the members of the Second Chamber at its final reading
therein -
(2) An Act of Parliament may amend any of the
provisions of this Constitution not mentioned in paragraph (1)
if the Bill for the Act is supported by -
(a) the votes of not less than two-thirds of
the members of the House of Commons present and voting at its
final reading therein, and
(b) by the votes of not less than two-thirds
of the members of the Second Chamber present and voting at its
final reading therein -
(3) A Bill for the amendment of any provisions
of Articles 31 to 34 (Devolved Government) which has been passed
in accordance with paragraph (1) or (2) as the case may be, shall
not be presented to the Head of State for Assent unless it has
been ratified by at least two of the Assemblies by the affirmative
votes of a majority of the members present and voting in each
such Assembly.
(4) A Bill for the amendment of this Constitution
which provides that any part of the United Kingdom should cease
to be so, and which has been passed in accordance with paragraph
(1), shall not be presented to the Head of State for Assent unless
it has been approved by a majority of the registered voters in
that part of the United Kingdom voting in a referendum.
(5) A Bill for the amendment of this Constitution
shall not be presented to the Head of State for Assent unless
there is endorsed upon it, as the case may require -
(a) a certificate of the Speaker of the House
of Commons that paragraph (1)(a), (2)(a), (3) or (4) has been
complied with; and
(b) a certificate of the Speaker of the Second
Chamber that paragraph (1)(b) or (2)(b) has been complied with.
(6) For the purpose of this Constitution, the
expression "amendment", in relation to this Constitution
or any Article or provision of any Article, includes -
(a) revocation, with or without re-enactment,
or the making of different provision in lieu;
(b) modification, whether by omitting, or altering,
or inserting additional provision, or otherwise; and
(c) suspension of operation for any period or
the termination of any such suspension.
53 Constitutional
Bills
(1) A Constitutional Bill shall not be presented
to the Head of State for Assent unless it is passed, at its final
reading in both the House of Commons and the Second Chamber, by
a majority of all the members of the House.
(2) If a Constitutional Bill, which has been
passed by one House of Parliament, is not passed by the other
House, the Bill shall be returned to the House by which it was
passed, endorsed with the certificate of the Speaker of the other
House, signed by the Speaker, that the Bill is a Constitutional
Bill.
(3) For the purposes of this Constitution, the
expression "Constitutional Bill" means a public Bill
which, in the opinion of the Speaker of the Second Chamber, whilst
not containing an amendment to the Constitution,
(a) is required by or under this Constitution
to be enacted; or
(b) gives detailed effect to any Article of the
Constitution; or
(c) affects any provision in Article 36 (Bill
of Rights); or
(d) affects the functions of the Head of State
or the composition, powers or jurisdiction of the House of Commons,
the Second Chamber, the Assemblies, the Supreme Court or the judiciary;
and the expression "constitutional legislation"
shall be construed accordingly.
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