Stephen Tierney

Relationships beyond Scotland, Centre on Constitutional Change
University of Edinburgh

Biography

There are significant gaps in the information available to policymakers and citizens at this crucial constitutional moment for Scotland. Stephen Tierney has been engaged in advising the Scottish Parliament on the Referendum Bill, applying his research on international referendum practice to help ensure that the process in 2014 is properly democratic. Through the Edinburgh Centre for Constitutional Law he has also been addressing the substantive issues at stake, including what independence would mean for the constitution of Scotland, and the constitutional process that would likely follow in the event of a Yes vote. Other work has been on the European and International law issues that would need to be addressed were Scotland to become independent. See the paper: Legal Issues Surrounding the Referendum on Independence for Scotland.

A key issue is to help inform the public and in particular young voters. To that end Tierney’s project website offers quizzes aimed at young people, testing their knowledge of the UK and Scottish constitutional systems and, in due course, of the independence issue itself http://www.scottishindependenceaudit.ed.ac.uk/quizzes

Stephen Tierney's University of Edinburgh profile - https://www.law.ed.ac.uk/people/professor-stephen-tierney

Posts by this author

Ballot box

The Scottish Parliamentary Elections and the “Second Referendum” Debate

Following the Scottish Parliamentary Elections, Stephen Tierney notes that the political landscape remains both uncertain and challenging and may well remain fraught for a long time to come.

Assessing the decision

Stephen Tierney of Edinburgh University outlines the Supreme Court's decision. He argues 'This unanimous decision is remarkable for its significance, the speed at which it was arrived at and the strident tone of the judgment'

Referendum or Citizens’ Assembly? The Plot Thickens

CCC Fellow Professor Stephen Tierney (University of Edinburgh) assesses the constitutional realities facing the First Minister as she plots a path to a second independence referendum.
Justice

The Repatriation of Competencies After Brexit: Justice and Home Affairs

One of the areas of devolved competence that may be affected significantly by Brexit is Justice and Home Affairs (JHA). In this blog post, Professor Stephen Tierney explores the repatriation of JHA competences and the implications for devolution. This coincides with the publication of a new research briefing by Tierney and Remond, produced as part of a UK in a Changing Europe project.
Northern Ireland

Governing Northern Ireland without an Executive: Quick Fix or Constitutional Minefield?

The Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Bill, which arrives in the House of Lords today, is set to be enacted by way of fast-track legislative procedure this week.
Westminster

The Legislative Supremacy of Government

At the same time as Parliament prepares to ‘take back control’ from Brussels, the executive is in fact accruing to itself further control over the legislative process. CCC Fellow Professor Stephen Tierney addresses a number of trends – only some of which are a direct consequence of the unique circumstances of Brexit – which suggest a deeper realignment of institutional power within the constitution and a consequent diminution of Parliament’s legislative power.