KSLU Solved Question Papers
Political Science (Major World Governments)
Previous Year Question Paper with Solution
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) · Sem 3
2023 Mar Examination
munotes.in
Mumbai
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) Sem 3 Political Science (Major World Governments) 2023 Mar Question Paper with Solutions
First published on munotes.in on 21 October 2026.
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The question paper reproduced here is the paper as set by Karnataka State Law University at the 2023 Mar examination.
Contents
The questions below are the paper as Karnataka State Law University set it at the 2023 Mar examination, in the order it was set.
MarksPage
MarksPage
The Paper as Set
The questions in this volume are the questions asked at the 2023 Mar examination, reproduced as Karnataka State Law University set them, in the order it set them. Long reading passages are shortened to their first and last lines and our summary; the original paper prints them in full. Only the answers are ours. See the original question paper.
Duration 3 hours · Total marks 80 · 20 questions answered
How to use this volume
Solve the paper first, under exam conditions and against the clock. Then read the answers here and mark your own. Reading a solution before attempting the question feels productive and teaches very little, because recognising an answer is not the same as being able to write one.
Q1
Unit I
(a)Explain the salient features of Constitution of United Kingdom.[10]
Answer
For full marks, cover: the uncodified and evolved character of the constitution and its sources; flexibility; parliamentary sovereignty; the rule of law; constitutional monarchy; parliamentary government and the fusion of powers; conventions; a bicameral Parliament with a dominant Commons; a unitary state with devolution; an independent judiciary without power to strike down Acts; rights under the Human Rights Act 1998; the two-party system; a conclusion.
Introduction
The United Kingdom is one of the very few democracies without a single written constitutional document. Its constitution is found in statutes, judicial decisions, conventions and authoritative works. It has grown over centuries rather than being made at one moment. Its salient features are as follows.
1. Uncodified and evolved
There is no one document called "the Constitution". The rules come from many sources:
- Statutes, such as Magna Carta in its statutory form of 1297 and the Bill of Rights 1689. Modern examples are the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949, the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.
- Judicial decisions, which developed the rule of law and civil liberties.
- Conventions, the unwritten rules of political practice.
- Authoritative writings, such as those of Dicey and Bagehot.
2. Flexible
Because there is no special amending procedure, the constitution can be changed by an ordinary Act of Parliament. Devolution in 1998 and the creation of the Supreme Court in 2005 were made this way.
3. Parliamentary sovereignty
Dicey defined it as Parliament's "right to make or unmake any law whatever", with no person or body able to override its legislation. No court can declare an Act invalid. In Jackson v. Attorney General, [2005] UKHL 56, the Law Lords upheld laws passed under the Parliament Acts as "Acts of Parliament of full legal effect".
4. Rule of law
Dicey's second pillar is the rule of law: government under law, equality before the law, and rights protected by the ordinary courts. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 states that it does not adversely affect "the existing constitutional principle of the rule of law" (s.1).
5. Constitutional monarchy
The King is head of State, but by convention he acts on the advice of ministers. Bagehot called the monarchy a "dignified" part of the constitution, as against the "efficient" part that actually governs.
6. Parliamentary government and the fusion of powers
Ministers are drawn from Parliament and answer to it. Bagehot called the close union of the executive and the legislature "the efficient secret" of the English constitution, with the Cabinet as "a hyphen which joins, a buckle which fastens" them. So Britain has no strict separation of powers like the United States.
7. Importance of conventions
Many key rules are conventions, not laws. The King assents to bills and appoints the leader of the Commons majority as Prime Minister. Ministers resign if they lose the confidence of the Commons.
8. A bicameral Parliament with a dominant Commons
The elected House of Commons is supreme. Under the Parliament Acts the appointed House of Lords can only delay bills. Since 29 April 2026 the Lords has had no hereditary members.
9. A unitary state with devolution
Sovereignty rests in Westminster, but since 1998 Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have had their own legislatures for devolved matters. The Sewel convention says Westminster will not normally legislate on devolved matters without consent.
10. An independent judiciary
The Supreme Court, created by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, began work in 2009. Judges hold office during good behaviour, and ministers must uphold judicial independence (s.3). Courts cannot strike down Acts, but they review executive action. In R (Miller) v. The Prime Minister, [2019] UKSC 41, they held a prorogation unlawful.
11. Rights protected by statute
The Human Rights Act 1998 gives effect to the European Convention on Human Rights. Courts must read laws compatibly with Convention rights where possible (s.3), and may declare an Act incompatible (s.4) without striking it down.
12. Two-party system
Politics has long been dominated by the Conservative and Labour parties, encouraged by the "first past the post" system.
The British constitution compared with a written one
| Point | United Kingdom | India or the USA |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Uncodified | One written document |
| Amendment | Ordinary Act of Parliament | Special procedure |
| Highest law | Act of Parliament | The Constitution |
| Courts and statutes | Cannot strike down Acts | Can strike down unconstitutional laws |
These contrasts explain why British politics depends so much on convention and on the self-restraint of Parliament.
Conclusion. The salient features of the British constitution are its uncodified, evolved and flexible character, parliamentary sovereignty and the rule of law. It is a constitutional monarchy with parliamentary government and a fusion of powers, and it depends heavily on conventions. It has a dominant Commons, a unitary structure with devolution and an independent judiciary that cannot strike down Acts. It protects rights through the Human Rights Act and is shaped by two-party politics. Its strength is its adaptability; its weakness is that so much depends on political restraint.
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