The legal system in the UK.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of four countries with three distinct jurisdictions, each with its own court system and legal profession:

England and Wales: Since 1999, Wales has had its own Assembly, which can implement policy but does not have any legislative powers.

Northern Ireland: Some legislative powers were devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1999.

Scotland: Some legislative powers were devolved to the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

The UK has been a member of the EU since 1972. The UK has yet to join much of Europe in a common currency, the Euro, but has signed up to the Human Rights Act 1998. The UK has incorporated other European legislation into UK law and recognises the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in matters of EU law.

The UK does not have a ‘written' constitution and is made up of four main parts:

--statute law;

--common law;

--conventions;

--works of authority.

Of these, statute law is the most important and takes precedence. Although the Queen is the Head of State, Parliament is regarded as the supreme law-making authority. Much of the relationship between the Sovereign and Parliament is based on tradition rather than statute. The Government has two legislative chambers: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Commons consists of elected members and the House of Lords consists of elected peers as well as those with inherited titles (currently undergoing reform).

In addition to statute law passed by parliament, legal principles are also based on the decisions of judges interpreting statute law. These collected judicial decisions form the common law. Each of the three UK jurisdictions has developed its own common law or case law. Common law can be changed by legislation, but cannot overrule or change statutes. The last elements of the UK constitution consists of conventions and works of authority which do not have statutory authority, but nevertheless have binding force.

British economy and agriculture.

The British economy is one of the most powerful in the world.

It is a member of the G7 (now expanding to the G8 and G20), the European Union (although not the European Economic and Monetary Union -EMU - or Euro) and the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development). It is also the founding member of the Commonwealth, the association formed by former British Empire states.

The economy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain includes the economies of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The British Economy is one of the most globalized economies in the world, thanks in no small part to the City of London, considered to be the largest financial center in the world, and has the largest city GDP in Europe. The UK has the third-largest stock of both inward and outward foreign direct investment (in each case after the United States and France). The aerospace industry of the UK is the second- or third-largest national aerospace industry. The pharmaceutical industry also plays an important role in the UK economy. Manchester is the centre of the cotton textile industry, one of Britain's most important producers of computers and electronic equipment. Coal-mining is important in South Wales, but many of the mines there have been closed. Ship-building is an important industry in the United Kingdom. The main ship-building centers are London, Glasgow, Belfast and some others. The British economy is also boosted by North Sea oil and gas reserves, valued at an estimated £250 billion in 2007.

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