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The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the highest court in the UK for all criminal and civil cases in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and for all civil cases in Scots law. [13] The Supreme Court is the final court, in the normal sense of the term, for interpreting United Kingdom law.
His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government, is the central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. [2] [3] The government is led by the prime minister (Keir Starmer since 5 July 2024) who selects all the other ministers. The country has had a Labour government since 2024.
The Government of the United Kingdom is divided into departments that each have responsibility, according to the government, for putting government policy into practice. [1] There are currently 24 ministerial departments, 20 non-ministerial departments, and 422 agencies and other public bodies, for a total of 465 departments. [2]
The Scottish Government is responsible for all issues that are not explicitly reserved to the United Kingdom Parliament at Westminster, by the Scotland Act; including NHS Scotland, education, justice, rural affairs, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, some aspects of the benefits system, elections to the Scottish Parliament and local ...
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Treaty of Union by Acts of Union passed by the Parliament of England (established 1215) and the Parliament of Scotland (c. 1235), both Acts of Union stating, "That the United Kingdom of Great Britain be represented by one and the same Parliament to be styled The Parliament of Great Britain."
The leading institutions in the United Kingdom's constitution are Parliament, the judiciary, the executive, and regional and local governments, including the devolved legislatures and executives of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Parliament is the supreme law-making body, and represents the people of the United Kingdom.
Government departments are directly liable for damage caused by their acts. However, the sovereign retains immunity from prosecution. [21] In M v Home Office, the Home Secretary was found to be liable for contempt of court. [22] The substantive interpretation of the rule of law is controversial in the United Kingdom.
The term derives from the Palace of Westminster, which has been the seat of the Westminster Parliament in England and later the United Kingdom since the 13th century. The Westminster system is often contrasted with the presidential system that originated in the United States , [ 1 ] or with the semi-presidential system, based on the government ...