Landmark Decisions of UK Courts (2005-2023)
Find here a selection of major constitutional and administrative decisions handed down by United Kingdom courts since 2005
The following table was compiled using the Open Law Project – Constitutional Law hosted on the BAILII platform, as well as various British textbooks, treatises, and ‘Cases and Materials’ volumes.
The decisions are arranged in chronological order.
The topics selected here are: separation of powers; judicial review; devolution; fundamental rights; and major principles of constitutional law.
Full citation
Court
Issue
Key-words
Summary
61
R (Jackson) v Attorney General [2005] UKHL 56
Appellate Committee of the House of Lords
Separation of powers
Parliamentary sovereignty ; Rule of law
62
A v Home Secretary (No 2) [2005] UKHL 71
Appellate Committee of the House of Lords
Fundamental rights
Prohibition against torture ; Rule of law ; principle of legality
63
R (Gillan) v Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis [2006] UKHL 12
Appellate Committee of the House of Lords
Fundamental rights
Stop and search ; ECHR ; counter-terrorism law
64
R (Begum) v Governors of Denbigh High School [2006] UKHL 15
Appellate Committee of the House of Lords
Fundamental rights
Freedom of religion ; neutrality ; ECHR
65
Belfast City Council v Miss Behavin’ Ltd [2007] UKHL 19
Appellate Committee of the House of Lords
Fundamental rights
Freedom of speech ; ECHR ; proportionality
66
R (Bradley) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2008] EWCA Civ 36
Court of Appeal
Judicial Review
Ombudsman ; Wednesbury unreasonableness ; judicial review
67
Appellate Committee of the House of Lords
Separation of powers
Royal prerogative ; Commonwealth ; judicial review ; legitimate expectations
68
Austin v Commissionner of Police of the Metropolis [2009] UKHL 5
Appellate Committee of the House of Lords
Fundamental rights
Right to freedom ; freedom of mouvement ; ECHR
69
R (Purdy) v DPP [2009] UKHL 45
Appellate Committee of the House of Lords
Fundamental rights
Assisted suicide ; criminalisation of suicide ; legal certainty
70
HM Treasury v Ahmed [2010] UKSC 2
Supreme Court
Fundamental rights
International sanctions ; principle of legality ; procedural fairness
71
R (F) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2010] UKSC 17
Supreme Court
Fundamental rights
Right to private life ; ECHR ; proportionality ; section 4 HRA 1998 ; sex offenders register
72
AXA General Insurance Ltd v Lord Advocate (Scotland) [2011] UKSC 46
Supreme Court
Devolution
Judicial review ; Rule of law ; Parliamentary sovereignty ; devolution
73
R (Cart) v Upper Tribunal [2011] UKSC 28
Supreme Court
Judicial Review
Ouster clauses ; Rule of law ; judicial review ; principle of legality
74
Imperial Tobacco Ltd v Lord Advocate (Scotland) [2012] UKSC 61
Supreme Court
Devolution
Reserved matters ; devolution
75
Bank Mellat v HM Treasury [2013] UKSC 38 & 39
Supreme Court
Judicial Review
Proportionality ; ECHR ; international sanctions ; fair trial ; judicial review
76
R (Osborn) v Parole Board [2013] UKSC 61
Supreme Court
Fundamental rights
Procedural fairness ; ECHR ; common law rights
77
R (Chester) v Secretary of State for Justice [2013] UKSC 63
Supreme Court
Fundamental rights
prisoner voting rights ; section 4 HRA 1998
78
Bull v Hall [2013] UKSC 73
Supreme Court
Fundamental rights
Freedom of religion ; anti-discrimination ; sexual orientation ; ECHR ; EU law
79
Supreme Court
Separation of powers
UK constitution ; Rule of law ; EU law ; constitutional statutes ; parliamentary privileges ; Bill of Rights
80
R (Nicklinson) v Ministry of Justice [2014] UKSC 38
Supreme Court
Fundamental rights
Assisted suicide ; right to private life ; ECHR
81
R (Carlile) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2014] UKSC 60
Supreme Court
Fundamental rights
Proportionality ; judicial review ; freedom of speech ; counter-terrorism law
82
Pham v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] UKSC 19
Supreme Court
Judicial Review
Proportionality ; judicial review ; common law rights ; ECHR ; counter-terrorism law
83
R (Evans) v Information Commissioner [2015] UKSC 21 (Black-Spider memos Case)
Supreme Court
Separation of powers
Public transparency ; judicial independence
84
Supreme Court
Fundamental rights
Right to education ; ECHR
85
Shindler v Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster [2016] EWCA Civ 469
Supreme Court
Fundamental rights
Voting rights ; Brexit ; freedom of mouvement
86
R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union [2017] UKSC 5 (Miller No 1)
Supreme Court
Separation of powers
Royal prerogative ; parliamentary sovereignty ; rule of law ; Brexit ; constitutional convention ; devolution
87
R (UNISON) v Lord Chancellor [2017] UKSC 51
Supreme Court
Fundamental rights
Access to justice ; proportionality ; ECHR ; common law rights
88
Lee v Ashers Baking Company Ltd [2018] UKSC 49
Supreme Court
Fundamental rights
Freedom of speech ; freedom of religion ; anti-discrimination ; sexual orientation ; proportionality ; ECHR
89
Reference Re EU (Legal Continuity) Bill [2018] UKSC 64
Supreme Court
Devolution
Brexit ; retained EU law ; reserved matters ; parliamentary sovereignty
90
R (Privacy International) v Investigatory Powers Tribunal [2019] UKSC 22
Supreme Court
Judicial Review
Ouster clauses ; rule of law ; judicial review ; principle of legality ; principle of open justice
91
R (Miller) v The Prime Minister and Cherry v Advocate General for Scotland [2019] UKSC 41 (Miller No 2)
Supreme Court
Séparation des pouvoirs
Royal prerogative ; parliamentary sovereignty ; rule of law ; Brexit ; UK constitution
92
Reference by the Lord Advocate of Devolution Issues [2022] UKSC 31
Supreme Court
Devolution
Scotland Act 1998 ; independence referendum ; reserved matters
93
R (Gardner and Harris) v Secretary of State for Health and Social Care [2022] EWHC 967 (Admin)
High Court
Fundamental rights
COVID-19 ; judicial review ; right to life ; ECHR ; judicial deference
94
Re Allister [2023] UKSC 5
Supreme Court
Separation of powers
Brexit ; constitutional statutes ; parliamentary sovereignty ; Protocol on Northern Ireland ; principle of legality ; Good Friday Agreement