Founded 2009 Website www.consoc.org.uk/ | Type Think Tank | |
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Location Top Floor, 61 Petty France, London, SW1H 9EU | ||
The Constitution Society is an independent, non-party educational trust based near Westminster, England. It was established in 2009 to promote public understanding of the British Constitution and to work to encourage informed debate between legislators, academics and the public about proposals for constitutional change. The Constitution Society does not take any position on the merits of specific reform proposals, and neither endorses nor opposes the introduction of a written constitution.
Contents
Aims
Though neutral about substantive constitutional issues, the Constitution Society strongly supports due process and good government and believes that constitutional change should only be introduced to address genuine deficiencies, and only after careful analysis and broad consultation.
Publications
The Constitution Society has submitted evidence to many Parliamentary Select Committee Committee inquiries and published a number of independent research papers on matters of constitutional importance.
Select Committee evidence submissions
The Constitution Society's has submitted evidence to the House of Commons Liaison Committee's inquiry into "Select Committee Powers and Effectiveness", the House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution's inquiry into the "Process of Constitutional Change", and the Commission on a Bill of Rights for the UK.
More recently the Constitution Society has submitted evidence to multiple inquiries by the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee including; "Do we need a constitutional convention for the UK," "Ensuring standards in the quality of legislation," "Mapping the path to codifying - or not codifying - the UK's Constitution" and "Prospects for codifying the relationship between central and local government". Written evidence submitted by the Constitution Society to the Political and Constitution Select Committee and published research subsequently used to support successful amendments tabled in the House of Lords.
Notable publications
In May 2016, the Constitution Society published a paper entitled "Brexit: The Immediate Legal Consequences", written by Richard Gordon Q.C. and Rowena Moffatt. The report has been referenced by the UK Human Rights Blog, which is edited by 1 Crown Office Row barristers' chambers.
In June 2012, the Constitution Society published a report entitled “Select Committees and Coercive Powers – Clarity or Confusion” written by Richard Gordon Q.C. and Amy Street. The report has been referenced by the Clerk of the Commons, Robert Rogers, in a Liaison Committee paper entitled “Select Committee Powers and Effectiveness”, and by Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls in a parliamentary debate on the Libor scandal.
Links to other bodies
The Constitution Society provides administrative assistance to the Better Government Initiative, and to the African Commercial Law Foundation.