[ExI] age of mockery

[Charlie Stross]

On 17 Oct 2012, at 03:41, Anders Sandberg <anders at aleph.se> wrote:

> On 16/10/2012 16:48, spike wrote:
>> ...You know, of course, that the UK doesn't have a First Amendment right...
>> BillK, you lads should get one.  Actually you need some second amendment
>> rights before you have a chance at having some first amendment rights.
> 
> We need a constitution first. Maybe we should humbly beg Her Majesty for an update on Magna Carta...

There is, actually, a British constitution. However, it's not a single document: per a law professor of my acquaintance it's encoded in 24 different Acts of Parliament. It's also a lot easier to change than the US constitution -- but not as easy as most people might imagine (otherwise we wouldn't still have a House of Lords). Turns out that MPs tend to get very independent-minded and will openly defy a three-line whip in the Commons if what's at stake is the legitimacy of the constitutional system within which they operate.


-- Charlie