British Railways Board v Pickin [1974] AC 765, House of Lords

Abstract

Essential Cases: Public Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in British Railways Board v Pickin [1974] AC 765, House of Lords. The case concerned the unwillingness of the courts to look behind the process by which statutes were enacted by Parliament. The case note explores the wider implications of this position in the context of debate between orthodox and alternative conceptions of parliamentary sovereignty, and the notion of constitutional statutes. The document also includes supporting commentary from author Thomas Webb.