A legal constitution is a constitution where the judiciary form the greatest check upon the use of executive power. A legal constitution can be contrasted with a political constitution

Political constitution

A political constitution is a constitution where the legislature is the main check upon executive power. It can be contrasted to a legal constitution, where it is the judiciary which provides the greater checks upon government. In many countries both political and legal checks will be used to...

 where political accountability is the greatest method of controlling government. In a legal constitution methods of officiall review and the striking down of unconstitutional legislation may be used in order to control government power. A move from a political to a legal constitution has been noted in the United Kingdom after the passing of the Human Rights Act

Human Rights Act

A human rights act is a statute that sets out individual rights and freedoms under the law. Many jurisdictions have bills of rights enshrined into law and called the "Human Rights Act". This naming convention is commonly used in Commonwealth nations...

.