18 concepts the spec wants you to use precisely, drawn from the Panther database. Read them, then test yourself.
In test mode, tap a concept to reveal its definition.
The concepts
Judicial review (UK)(tap to reveal)- The process by which courts can examine government decisions and declare them unlawful if they breach the law.
Backbench Business Committee(tap to reveal)- A committee set up in 2010 that allows backbench MPs (those not in the government) to control what Parliament debates on about 35 days each session, giving them more influence.
Brexit(tap to reveal)- The UK leaving the EU after the 2016 referendum. Fully left in January 2020 with the transition ending in December 2020.
Collective responsibility(tap to reveal)- The rule that if Cabinet members disagree with a decision, they must publicly support it anyway once it's agreed. If they can't accept it, they resign. This convention has been tested by Brexit and other major decisions.
Declaration of incompatibility(tap to reveal)- A ruling by a UK higher court that a law conflicts with the Human Rights Act, though Parliament can still choose to keep the law.
Doctrine of the mandate(tap to reveal)- The idea that because a government was elected, it has the right to carry out what it promised in its election campaign. This gives the government legitimacy but is debated because UK elections rarely give a clear mandate for specific policies.
EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018(tap to reveal)- The law that ended the 1972 Act taking us into the EU, and copied EU law into UK law so there wasn't a legal vacuum when we left.
Elective dictatorship(tap to reveal)- A term describing a government with such a large parliamentary majority that it can pass almost anything it wants, with Parliament offering little real check.
European Union (EU)(tap to reveal)- A political and economic union of (currently 27) European countries that share laws, a single market, and common institutions.
Four freedoms (EU)(tap to reveal)- The founding principles of the EU single market: free movement of goods, services, money, and people between member states.
Henry VIII clauses(tap to reveal)- Clauses in laws that allow ministers to change or cancel other laws using secondary legislation (statutory instruments) without Parliament voting on the changes. This has become more common since Brexit and is controversial.
Henry VIII powers (post-Brexit)(tap to reveal)- Powers letting ministers change laws without full Parliamentary debate - heavily used to process Brexit legislation.
Internal Market Act 2020(tap to reveal)- A 2020 law creating a UK-wide single market after Brexit. Controversial for clashing with devolution and the NI Protocol.
Judiciable(tap to reveal)- A matter that a court can properly decide on. Some political decisions are not judiciable because they involve political rather than legal judgement.
Judicial independence(tap to reveal)- The principle that judges must be free from political pressure and interference when making their decisions.
Judicial neutrality(tap to reveal)- The principle that judges should make decisions based only on the law, not on their personal or political opinions.
Legal sovereignty(tap to reveal)- The formal right to make and enforce laws within a territory; in the UK this belongs to Parliament.
Level playing field(tap to reveal)- TCA rules stopping the UK undercutting the EU on standards like workers' rights or environmental protection.