Spotted all the fuss this week about Jack Straw's Constitutional Renewal? How it is going to redress the balance between the executive and legislative buy repositioning the prerogative amongst other proposals? Well that is all very good, but also in the draft bill is the ability for any Minister to stick two fingers up to Parliament and strike out any legislation. Dizzy calls it the Abolition of Parliament Act. Now as written it does require "resolution of each House of Parliament" that sounds like a check/balance but nowhere is any requirement for there to be a debate about the measure beforehand. While in theory a government wanting to force legislation through even without this measure can call a three line whip to get a bill passed, there are enough stages in that process to allow for negotiation and compromise; however this provision for statutory instruments will be an all or nothing gambit.
No comments:
Post a Comment