Which of the following countries operates unwritten constitution?

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks which country operates an unwritten constitution. This means a constitution that is not contained in a single, formal, codified document.

Step 2: Explain the concept

• Written constitution: The rules of government are set out in one main document, such as the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended).
• Unwritten constitution: The rules come from many sources, such as customs, conventions, court decisions (common law), and separate Acts of Parliament. There is no single document. Note that "unwritten" does not mean nothing is written down. It means there is no single codified document.

Step 3: Check each option

• A. Britain: It has no single codified constitution. Its constitution comes from conventions, common law, and statutes such as the Magna Carta (1215), the Bill of Rights (1689), and the Parliament Acts. This is the classic example of an unwritten constitution.
• B. USA: It has a written constitution (1787), which is the oldest written national constitution still in use.
• C. Japan: It has a written constitution (1947), which is famous for its pacifist Article 9.
• D. Canada: It has a mostly written constitution (the Constitution Act, 1867, and the Constitution Act, 1982), though conventions also play a role.

Step 4: Answer Britain is the standard example of a country with an unwritten constitution.

Correct option: A. Britain

Tip: Remember "Britain = Unwritten, Unitary, Parliamentary supremacy." In WASSCE and JAMB Government questions, Britain is almost always the example for unwritten, flexible constitutions, while the USA is the example for written, rigid ones.