Critically assess the virtues and shortcomings of Britain's Essay

Critically assess the virtues and shortcomings of Britain's 'un-codified' Constitution. Critically assess the Pr - Essay Example For this reason, the acts and laws passed in parliament become the constitution, as long as they have respect to the sovereignty of parliament as well as the principles of governance and legislation. The parliament in this case is sovereign and superior to every other institution in Britain, which means that it has the mandate of interpreting the constitution, thereby representing the sovereign will of the people. The un-codified British constitution constitutes values and political ideas that are based on ideals and precepts rather than fundamentals that are based on texts or documents (Williams, 1998: p 57). This means that the constitution and laws are symbols of the embodiment of their political culture, traditions and values of the British society. One of the strengths of the un-codified British constitution is that it is flexible. Many countries with the codified constitution find it difficult to pass legislation since the government is accountable and the constitution is prote cts individuals. For instance, Britain was able to pass legislation meant to detain terror suspects for a long period after several terrorist attacks. Other countries with the codified constitution during this period found it difficult to do the same since their constitutions were protecting the liberties of individuals (Watts, 2007: p 204). For this reason, these governments were not able to detain the terror suspects for a long duration, as the relevant authorities continued with their investigations. Apart from the flexibility of the un-codified constitution, its other strength is that it is able to evolve. Individuals in society live according to the changes in the political climate. This gives the British parliament the power to change some of the laws that seem to be outdated, consequently changing the way people live in the society (Watts, 2007: p 202). The ability of the evolution of the un-codified constitution creates an environment that is comfortable for individuals to r eside. For instance, in 1867, sovereignty was given to parliament, after it was taken away from the monarchy, which was responsible for the creation of a democratic political environment. This change made it possible for individuals to know their place in society. On the other hand, other than the opposition in parliament, there are no provisions for checking the government. This is one of the major shortcomings of the un-codified constitution. The absence of the checks and balance mechanisms might lead to the creation of an unjust political system, where the government might be in a position to oppress individuals in the society selectively. Using the previous example on terrorism, the British government had the capability of holding suspects for long periods, and with the probability that they might be lacking enough evidence to charge them, the detainment would be an infringement on the rights of the individual. Contrary to this, the codified constitution presents an opportunity for the creation of a political system that is just (Williams, 1998: p 52). In this case, the government will not be able to oppress individuals in the society, unless they have concrete evidence that a suspect is a terrorist. Before charging the suspect, he or she will be able to continue enjoying some of the rights and freedoms in society.

Biography of Dr. Avraham Biran Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Biography of Dr. Avraham Biran - Research Paper Example To embellish his achievement, he also made it as the head of several archeology bodies both in Israel and the United States. He also had great interest in biblical archeology. This trait he always said he obtained from his mentor who also shared similar perceptions in biblical archeology. His vast knowledge of and interest in archeology made his speaking abilities more elegant. By then lectures had no importance as students and the general public were not regular attendants. Lectures and talks involving Avraham Biran used to be full to capacity as thousands of people flocked to grasp part of his knowledge. According to General Books LLC,2 it was only a person sharing the same features as Avraham Birian who was capable of achieving what he did with so many factors against his success. He was among the first archeology to help nurture a generation of well informed and knowledgeable archeologists. What made Biran an exceptional archeology is the fact that he gave a lot back to his count ry. This saw him achieve major awards in his home country. He unraveled the archeology potential of Israel. He also has in his name numerous articles and publications on archeology. Avraham Biran was born on 1909 in Petah Tivkah, part of the Ottoman Empire. Before changing his surname to Biran, he had the surname Bergman. He and his family moved to Rosh Pina which was a land of his ancestors. This made him adapt to the name Mayflower Israeli. He had his roots in Palestine where his great grandfather had first settled. In his youth his family moved to Egypt. His father managed to obtain a small farm in which he managed and produced some products for their support. His great grandfather had granted them the Palestinian roots after settling there and forming a political Zionism in 1897.3 However, he was Romania-born. A few years later, his father died. After which his family moved back to Palestine and spent his life in times with his grandparents until he reached the age of 13. Mr. Bi ran studied at the Hebrew Reali School of Haifa. It is from the school that he got the inspiration he needed in life. In his own words, he said that the impression the school left in him was lifelong. It was the time he spent at Reali School of Haifa that made him gain interest in archeology. The influence his principal had in him was very great. The principal Mr. Arthur Biram taught him the Bible and ancient history. At this time he attended many hikes in which he never left his Bible behind. They visited ancient Samaria, Jerusalem, Hebron and the Western Wall. With his Bible and exposure to ancient sites, his interest in archeology grew even greater.4 At times he used the Bible to relate to the archeological sites he visited. It was this great interest and passion that made Professor Albright, one of the greatest archeologists, call him to study with him. He then moved to Israel and continued his studies at the David Yellin Teacher’s College in Jerusalem. He then went back to teach in Haifa where his education started. In 1930 he moves to the United States to continue his studies. He enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. A year later, he enrolled as a student in Near Eastern studies under Professor Albright at John Hopkins University in Baltimore. It was from the two institutions that he received his MA in 1934 and a PhD in 1935 respectively. He retired from his archeology career at the age of 93 when he moved back to