现代英国宪法：改进或颠覆？

Modern British Constitution: Reformed or Undermined?

英国拥有世界上历史最为悠久的立宪和代议制政府,但缺少成文宪法让它在现代国家中显得与众不同。自1688年光荣革命以来,英国逐渐发展出一种稳定的宪制,它铭记着君主、上院和下院的联合主权,同时也在捍卫人民的自由,并且让立法机构越来越多地对不断扩大的选民负责。直到20世纪晚期,这套宪法在内广受拥戴,在外深受赞赏。然而,近几十年的一些新发展对这一宪法提出了严峻挑战。最重要的新发展包括:英国加入欧盟而产生的变化;对议会权威下降的持续担忧;联合王国非英格兰地区民族主义情绪的兴起,它导致了英国议会向苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰的区域立法机构下放权力;对上院构成民主化的广泛渴望。过去几十年中有许多变革,还有一些变革也在考虑但尚无结果。这些变革是改善还是颠覆了三个世纪来运转良好的英国宪制,远非清楚。

Britain has the oldest constitutional and representative system of government in the world,but it is unusual among modern states in not having a written constitution.From the Glorious Revolution of 1688-89 onwards,Britain gradually developed a stable constitution that enshrined the joint sovereignty of the monarch,the House of Lords and the House of Commons,while defending the liberties of the people and making the legislature increasingly responsible to a widening electorate that eventually,by the earlier twentieth century,included all adults,male and female.Until the late twentieth century this constitution enjoyed massive support at home and was greatly admired abroad.Developments over recent decades,however,have posed serious challenges to this long established and well-supported constitution.The most important developments have been the changes made by Britain's entry into the European Community,the growing concern about the decline in parliament's authority,the rise of nationalist sentiment in the non-English parts of the United Kingdom that have resulted in the devolution of power from the Westminster Parliament to regional legislative bodies in Scotland,Wales,and Northern Ireland,and the widespread desire to democratize the composition of the House of Lords but the absence of any agreement how to do this.Many changes have been made and others contemplated but not achieved over recent decades.It is still far from clear,however,whether these changes have improved or undermined a constitution that has served Britain so well over the previous three centuries.