Oxford Mods Constitutional Law: the cases
Every case on the 2026-27 Mods Constitutional Law list, in the list's own topic order, with a free brief for each: ratio, the judgments, key reasoning, how the case fits the module and the leading criticisms. Oxford material on Caselaw is free for everyone, with no sign-up.
The briefs are written with AI from each case's name, citation and general legal knowledge (never from the judgment text), with no quotations or paragraph pinpoints. 38 of these judgments are on Find Case Law, linked from each page; the rest (mostly pre-2001 and House of Lords) are not, so read the report.
Barber chapter 6
- Attorney-General v Jonathan Cape Ltd (1976) QB 752★★
- Madzimbamuto v Lardner-Burke [1969] 1 AC 645
Constitutional Codes
- R (FDA) v Prime Minister and Minister for the Civil Service [2021] EWHC 3279 (Admin)★
- Gulf Centre for Human Rights, R (On the Application of) v The Prime Minister & Anor [2018] EWCA Civ 1855not republished here
Principle of Legality; Constitutional Statutes?
- R v Secretary of State for the Home Department, ex parte Simms [2002] 2 AC 115★
- R (Unison) v Lord Chancellor [2017] UKSC 51, [2017] 3 WLR 409★
- R (Evans) v Attorney General [2015] UKSC 21★
- R (Dolan) v Secretary of State for Health and Social Care [2020] EWCA Civ 1605★
- Thoburn v Sunderland City Council [2002] EWHC 195 (Admin)★★★
- R (Buckinghamshire County Council) v Secretary of State for Transport (HS2) [2014] UKSC 3, [2014] 1 WLR 324★★★
Constitutional Reform Act 2005, s 1
- R (Evans) v Attorney General [2015] UKSC 21★
- Corner House Research & Ors, R (On The Application of) v The Serious Fraud Office [2008] UKHL 60
- R (Purdy) v Director of Public Prosecutions [2009] UKHL 45★★
- Walumba Lumba (previously referred to as WL) (Congo) 1 and 2 v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2011] UKSC 12★
- R (Reilly) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (No 2) [2016] EWCA Civ 413★★
2. Can Parliament Bind its Successors?
- Thoburn v Sunderland City Council [2002] EWHC 195 (Admin)
- Ellen Street Estates Ltd v Minister of Health [1934] 1 KB 591
- R v Secretary of State for Transport, ex parte Factortame Ltd (No 1) [1990] 2 AC 85★★★
- R v Secretary of State for Transport, ex parte Factortame Ltd (No 2) [1991] AC 603★★★
- R (Jackson) v Attorney General [2005] UKHL 56★
Barber chapter 5
- AXA General Insurance Ltd v Lord Advocate [2011] UKSC 46★★
- R (Privacy International) v Investigatory Powers Tribunal [2019] UKSC 22★★
- R (Elan-Cane) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2021] UKSC 56
- Reference by the Attorney General and the Advocate General for Scotland – United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill [2021] UKSC 42★
- Reference by the Lord Advocate of devolution issues under paragraph 34 of Schedule 6 to the Scotland Act 1998 [2022] UKSC 31★
Government of Wales Act 1998, 2006, 2017
- Reference by the Attorney General and the Advocate General for Scotland – United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill [2021] UKSC 42★
- Reference by the Lord Advocate of devolution issues under paragraph 34 of Schedule 6 to the Scotland Act 1998 [2022] UKSC 31
- Robinson v Secretary of State for Northern Ireland [2002] UKHL 32★
- Martin v Most [2010] UKSC 10
- Attorney General v National Assembly for Wales Commission (Local Government Byelaws (Wales) Bill 2012) [2012] UKSC 53, [2013] 1 AC 792
- Imperial Tobacco Ltd v Lord Advocate [2012] UKSC 61
- Agricultural Sector (Wales) Bill: Reference by the Attorney General for England and Wales [2014] UKSC 43
- In the matter of an application by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission for Judicial Review (Northern Ireland) [2018] UKSC 27★
- The UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill – Reference by the Attorney General and the Advocate General for Scotland [2018] UKSC 64★
- In the matter of an application for Judicial Review by JR123 (Northern Ireland) [2025] UKSC 8★not republished here
3. Can the Judges Review the Validity of Acts of Parliament?
- British Railways Board v Pickin [1974] AC 745★★
- R (SC, CB and 8 children) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2021] UKSC 26★★
Bill of Rights 1689, art 9
- R v Chaytor [2010] UKSC 52★
Delegated Legislation
- R (Public Law Project) v Lord Chancellor [2016] UKSC 39
Referendums, Recall, Direct Democracy
Barber, 311-317
- Entick v Carrington (1765) 19 St Tr 1030★
- M v Home Office [1994] 1 AC 377★
- Craig v Her Majesty’s Advocate (for the Government of the United States of America) and another (Scotland) [2022] UKSC 6★not republished here
- R (Gillan) v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2006] UKHL 12
- Corner House Research & Ors, R (On The Application of) v The Serious Fraud Office [2008] UKHL 60★
- Malone v Metropolitan Police Commissioner (No 2) [1979] Ch 344, [1979] EWHC 2★
- The National Council for Civil Liberties, R (on the application of) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department [2024] EWHC 1181 (Admin), [2025] EWCA Civ 571★not republished here
The Crown and the Royal Prerogative
- Attorney General v De Keyser's Royal Hotel Ltd [1920] AC 508
- Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service [1984] 3 All ER 935★
- R v Secretary of State for the Home Department, ex parte Northumbria Police Authority [1988] 1 All ER 556
- R v Secretary of State for the Home Department, ex parte Fire Brigades Union [1995] 2 AC 513★
- R (Gentle) v Prime Minister [2006] EWCA Civ 1689, [2007] QB 689
- R (Bancoult) v Foreign Secretary (No 2) [2008] UKHL 61★
- R (Miller) v The Prime Minister; Cherry v Advocate General for Scotland [2019] UKSC 41★★
- Privacy International & Ors v Secretary of State for Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs & Ors [2021] EWCA Civ 330★not republished here
Barber, chapters 8 and 10
- Prohibitions del Roy (1607) 77 ER 1342
- Pepper (Inspector of Taxes) v Hart [1993] AC 593
Constitutional Reform Act 2005, s 3, 23-27, 32-33, 137
- R (Anderson) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2002] UKHL 46, [2002] 4 All ER 1089
3. Sections 4 and 10 – declarations of incompatibility
- R (Anderson) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2002] UKHL 46, [2002] 4 All ER 1089
- Bellinger v Bellinger [2003] UKHL 21, [2003] 2 AC 467★
2. Section 19 – scrutiny of proposed legislation
- R (Animal Defenders International) v Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport [2008] UKHL 15, [2008] 1 AC 1312
2. Section 3 – interpretation of legislation
- Ghaidan v Godin-Mendoza [2004] UKHL 30, [2004] 2 AC 557★
- R (Wilkinson) v Inland Revenue Commissioners [2005] UKHL 30, [2005] 1 WLR 1718★
- Secretary of State for Business and Trade v Mercer [2024] UKSC 12★not republished here
4. Section 6 – judicial review of administrative action
- In re G (Adoption: Unmarried Couple) [2008] UKHL 38, [2009] 1 AC 173
- R (Nicklinson) v Ministry of Justice [2014] UKSC 38, [2014] 3 WLR 200
2. Common law fundamental rights
- R (Daly) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2001] UKHL 26, [2001] 2 AC 532★
- Osborn v Parole Board; Booth v Parole Board; Re Reilly [2013] UKSC 61, [2014] AC 1115
- R (on the application of Jalloh (formerly Jollah)) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2020] UKSC 4not republished here
- Elgizouli v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2020] UKSC 10
4. Human Rights Act 1998 (UK)
- R (Ullah) v Special Adjudicator [2004] UKHL 26, [2004] 2 AC 323★
- R v Horncastle [2009] UKSC 14, [2010] 2 AC 373
- Rabone v Pennine Care NHS Trust [2012] UKSC 2, [2012] 2 AC 72★
- R (Hallam) v Secretary of State for Justice; R (Nealon) v Secretary of State for Justice [2019] UKSC 2★
- R (AB) v Secretary of State for Justice [2021] UKSC 28★
- In the matter of an application by Martina Dillon, John McEvoy, Brigid Hughes and Lynda McManus for Judicial Review; In the matter of an application by Martina Dillon, John McEvoy, Brigid Hughes and Lynda McManus for Judicial Review No 2 [2026] UKSC 15not republished here
- Bank Mellat v HM Treasury (No 2) [2013] UKSC 38, [2014] AC 700★
Also free: Mods Criminal Law cases, FHS Administrative Law cases, FHS Tort cases, Oxford revision notes and FHS-style practice papers.
Judgment text comes from Find Case Law (The National Archives) under the Open Justice Licence. Case lists are the Faculty's 2026-27 lists; tutorial order varies by college. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].