PARLIAMENT

• "A Parliament That Bows and Scrapes"?: The Westminster parliament’s impact on government legislation 2005-2010 Meg Russell et al. PSA conference paper
• Welfare Reform Bill and Financial Privilege: the Lords have both the constitutional power, and good cause, to assert themselves »

PROJECTS

• The Impact of Parliament on Legislation
• Legislative Committees at Westminster: The Case for Reform
• The Changing Role of the House of Lords Post-1999
• See the latest government defeat in the House of Lords

Since its establishment the Constitution Unit has taken a keen interest in parliament and parliamentary reform, often seeking to learn lessons for the UK parliament from similar institutions overseas. We have published particularly widely on the House of Lords and its reform, but also on the House of Commons and the implications of devolution for the Westminster parliament. Our parliaments work is co-ordinated by Meg Russell.

RESEARCH ARCHIVE

• The policy impact of Select Committees
• Appointing Ministers from outside parliament

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

• Robert Hazell on BBC Westminster Hour talking on FOI in Whitehall (Apr 12)
• Getting It, Spending It, Losing It: Exploring Political Capital Ben Worthy and Mark Bennister PSA conference paper
• February FOI update: round up of post-legislative scrutiny
• Constitution Unit gives evidence to Justice Committee scrutinising FOIA (Feb 2012)
• International focus: Japan

• Project report: Town Hall Transparency? The Impact of the Freedom of Information Act on English Local Government (Dec 2011, pdf)

PROJECTS

• FOI & Universities
• FOI & Local Government

The Constitution Unit is the leading academic centre in the UK specialising in Freedom of Information (FOI) and Data Protection (DP). Our purpose is to conduct cutting edge research in the UK and contribute to the development of evidence-based policy and practice. We also provide quality consultancy and advice, and organise informative conferences and seminars. Our FOI and DP work is led by Ben Worthy.

RESEARCH ARCHIVE

• FOI & Parliament
• The Impact of FOI on Central Government

RESEARCH ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

• RAE 2008: politics and international studies results
• Political Science submission to RAE 2008

SPECIAL ADVISERS

Project launch: the role of special advisers. Are they sufficiently effective and accountable?

MONARCHY

• Tuvalu and You: The Monarch, the UK and the realms Bob Morris in Political Quarterly 83 (2), 368-73 (Apr-Jun 2012)
• The Commonwealth in the 21st Century Bob Morris in Poltical Insight (April 2012)

COALITION GOVERNMENT

The Politics of Coalition: How the Conservative-Lib Dem Government Works (forthcoming, 2012)

Coalition Government in the UK: this project monitored how the coalition works through elite interviews and authorised by the Prime Minster and Deputy Prime Minister.

Read the interim report » 

JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE

The Politics of Judicial Independence in Britain’s Changing Constitution: 3-year AHRC research project examining the independence and accountability of the British judiciary. Watch the launch event with Lord Philips of Worth Matravers, Head of the Supreme Court.