Law of the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has four legal systems, each of which derives from a particular geographical area for a types of historical reasons: English and Welsh law, Scots law, Northern Ireland law, and, since 2007, purely Welsh law as a statement of the passage of the Government of Wales Act 2006 by Parliament. Overarching these systems is the law of the United Kingdom, also requested as United Kingdom law often abbreviated UK law. UK law arises from laws applying to the United Kingdom and/or its citizens as a whole, almost obviously constitutional law, but also other areas - for instance, tax law.

In fulfilment of its former EU treaty obligations, European Union directives were actively transposed into the UK legal systems under the UK parliament's law-making power. Upon Brexit, EU law was transplanted into domestic law as "retained EU law", though the UK remained temporarily in alignment with EU regulations during the transition period from 31 January to 31 December 2020.

Three legal systems

There are three distinct legal jurisdictions in the United Kingdom: England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. regarded and identified separately. has its own legal system, distinct history and origins.

There is a substantial overlap between these three legal systems and the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom: England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Unlike the other three, Welsh law is not a separate legal system , merely the primary and secondary legislation generated by the Senedd, interpreted in accordance with the doctrines of English law and not impacting upon English common law apart from where such(a) Welsh legislation ousts a common law predominance by virtue of being a superior throw of law.

The UK does not hit a single legal system because it was created by the political union of previously independent countries. Article 19 of the Treaty of Union, add into effect by the Acts of Union in 1707, created the Kingdom of Great Britain but guaranteed the continued existence of Scotland's and England's separate legal systems. The Acts of Union of 1800, which joined Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, contained no equivalent provisions but preserved the principle of different courts to be held in Ireland, of which the factor called Northern Ireland manages to folow as component of the United Kingdom.