judicial review of Acts of Parliament; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; British courts and
legislation are increasingly subject to review by European Union courts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November
1948) head of government: Prime Minister Anthony (Tony) BLAIR (since 2
May 1997)
Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections: majority
party in the House of Commons (assuming there is no majority
party, a prime minister would have a majority coalition or at least a
coalition that was not rejected by the majority)

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament comprised of House of Lords
(consists of approximately 500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers and 26
clergy) and House of Commons (659 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)
elections: elections); House of Commons - last held 7 June 2001 (next
to be held by NA May 2006) election results: House of Commons - percent
of vote by party - Labor 42.1%, Conservative and Unionist 32.7%, Liberal
Democrats 18.8%, other 6.4%; seats by party - Labor 412, Conservative
and Unionist 166, Liberal Democrat 52, other 29; note - seating as of 15
February 2002: 1998 elections were held for a Northern Ireland Parliament
(because of unresolved disputes among existing parties, the transfer of
power from London to Northern Ireland came only at the end of 1999 and
was twice rescinded before reinstatement in November 2001); in 1999 there
were elections for a new Scottish Parliament and a new Welsh Assembly

Judicial branch: House of Lords (highest court of appeal; several
Lords of Appeal in Ordinary are appointed by the monarch for life);
Supreme Courts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (comprising the
Courts of Appeal, the High Courts of Justice, and the Crown Courts);
Scotland's Court of Session and Court of the Justiciary

Political parties and leaders: Conservative and Unionist Party [Iain
Duncan SMITH]; Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Rev. Ian
PAISLEY]; Labor Party [Anthony (Tony) BLAIR]; Liberal Democrats [Charles
KENNEDY]; Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Ieuan Wyn JONES]; Scottish
National Party or SNP [John SWINNEY]; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry
ADAMS]; Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern I