Parliament

• The king could summon, dissolve, and prorogue the parliament as he wished. It was only needed for money or to pass laws.
• The parliament only met 7 times during Henry’s reign.
• The parliament was used to pass Acts of Attainder, uphold Henry’s claim to the throne and to define the responsibilities of JPs.
• Parliament wasn’t used because:

  • Henry wanted to avoid asking country for money due to rebellions
  • War was avoided as much as possible, so less money was needed
  • Acts of Attainder mainly passed at beginning and end of reign
  • Role as law court had been fulfilled by other courts, like the Council Learned in the Law