The Constitutional Context of Legal Method

As we shall see throughout this book, a major part of legal method involves identifying the scope of the power of the courts to apply and develop the law. It follows from this that, although the study of constitutional law is a substantial exercise in its own right, the study of legal method must include at least an overview of the legal basis of the constitution as the foundation of any real understanding. This chapter will therefore consider the legal framework of the British constitution generally, while the next three chapters will consider the European Community context.