Devolution - Die asymmetrische Staatsordnung des Vereinigten Königreichs

The thesis identifies the "constitutional” nature of the devolution legislation in the United Kingdom. Taking a historical approach, it firstly refers to the foundations of the United Kingdom as a coming together of different nations. It is shown that the Union-state, although partly making different arrangements for its component nations, has developed alongside the doctrine of Parliamentary sovereignty, a doctrine which is completely unfamiliar with the sharing of competence. This has been one experience of the Home-Rule legislation for Northern Ireland in the 1920s and the political efforts for devolution in the 1970s.
The main part of the book deals with the details of the devolution acts for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the creation of regional units in England. However, these acts maintain the general "sovereignty” of the Westminster Parliament. The newly established national and regional institutions do not follow a common legal pattern, but have got asymmetrical and unequal powers.