levo

Law Making in Wales and the UK

The devolution settlement and the role of the Supreme Court

  • 3 things to know
  • AS Unit 1

Overview

Sewel convention as it applies to Wales and two subjects reserved to Westminster rather than devolved to Wales.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Key term

Explain what is meant by the single jurisdiction of England and Wales.

Key term

Distinguish a conferred powers model of devolution from a reserved powers model.

Numbers

Which Act moved Wales to a reserved powers model, and when did it take effect?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Distinguish a conferred powers model of devolution from a reserved powers model.

    Model answer

    Under a conferred powers model the devolved legislature may act only on subjects expressly handed to it, while under a reserved powers model it may act on anything except subjects expressly kept back for Westminster.

  2. 2

    Which Act moved Wales to a reserved powers model, and when did it take effect?

    Model answer

    The Wales Act 2017 replaced the conferred powers model with a reserved powers model, taking effect in April 2018.

  3. 3

    Why was the move to a reserved powers model thought necessary?

    Model answer

    Under the conferred model any subject the settlement failed to mention was of uncertain status, which produced repeated disputes and references to the Supreme Court about the boundary of competence.

  4. 4

    What does the Wales Act 2017 say about the permanence of the Welsh institutions?

    Model answer

    It declares the Senedd and the Welsh Government to be a permanent part of the United Kingdom's constitutional arrangements, not to be abolished except following a referendum in Wales.

  5. 5

    Explain the Sewel convention as it applies to Wales.

    Model answer

    The Government of Wales Act 2006, as amended in 2017, recognises that Parliament will not normally legislate on devolved matters without the consent of the Senedd, given by a legislative consent motion.

  6. 6

    Is the Sewel convention enforceable in the courts?

    Model answer

    No, the Supreme Court held in Miller (2017) that the convention is a political rule policed by Parliament rather than a legal rule the courts will enforce.

Other ways to work this

The same content, four other ways.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

1Closed book
2Open book
3Closed book

The 3-step method, run for you

Answer cold, learn it, then prove it stuck. Levo tracks the jump between your first attempt and your last.

Law Making in Wales and the UK
Delegated Legislation
Statutory Interpretation
Judicial Precedent

Cram a whole paper in one sitting

Sort every topic into what you know and what you do not, then drill only the weak ones.

Roles v Nathan ( ).
196319411945

Blank Blitz makes facts automatic

Rapid timed gap-fills on the terms and numbers you need to recall without thinking.

AThe defendant owed the victim a duty of care and breached it.
BThe breach carried a reasonably foreseeable risk of death.
CThe breach caused the death.

Build It gets the exam shape right

Assemble a full-mark answer from its marking points, in the order an examiner wants them.

Pecuniary loss is financial and measurable.
TrueFalse

Test It catches misconceptions

Spot the fault in a statement. The traps are the mistakes students actually make.

721941163128510

Brain Breaks between sessions

Short focus games to reset attention, so the next set lands better than the last.

Every question in Law Making in Wales and the UK, on a schedule.

Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.

Or £46 a year, about £3.83 a month. Cancel anytime.