Raising the standard of debate by bringing the best constitutional minds to the public and policy-makers.

The Problem.

Today, constitutional issues are at the forefront of UK politics. Questions of devolution or independence in Scotland, Ireland (and even Wales), the role of the justice system, parliament, and individual rights look set to dominate our political conversation for years to come. Moreover, constitutional issues underpin every single public policy issue we face. Questions of who can wield power and on what terms are perhaps the most fundamental we, as citizens, can ask.

Yet, as a nation, we often misunderstand our own constitution. This leaves government, legislators, and ordinary people ill-equipped to address the challenges we face.

The Solution.

The ICDR seeks to improve our constitutional conversation through public education and thought leadership. We work to open up the legal and academic bubble, bringing the best constitutional minds in the country to legislators, government, and the public at large.

The Institute has delivered successes on the first limb, briefing MPs across parties on the Internal Market, Overseas Operations, Covert Human Intelligence, and Trade Bills. We are currently preparing a substantial piece of work on devolution and Scottish independence.

The Mission.

The Institute’s mission is:

1. Advise – Provide legislators and officials at all levels of government and devolution with non-partisan, concise, accessible, and strategic advice on constitutional and democratic issues.

2. Empower – Empower citizens to engage in constitutional discourse through public education and providing educational resources for schools.

3. Lead – Provide thought leadership by providing a platform for the nation’s leading constitutional minds to engage with our most pressing constitutional challenges.

The Mechanism.

The ICDR is entirely non-partisan. We work with legislators through the All Party Parliamentary Group on Democracy and the Constitution. We also engage with select committee and public inquiries as well as officials in Westminster, the devolved legislatures and executives, and local government. Our ideas are developed by our panel of fellows (see “Who We Are”) drawn from the leading constitutional experts at the bar, in academia, on the roll, and in other areas of practice. We utilise the media, events, conferences, blogs, longer form research, briefings, videos, and educational materials to make their ideas as accessible as possible to legislators, policy-makers, and members of the public.