Parliamentary law making

• Parliament:

  • Highest legislative authority
  • checks the work of the government
  • approves new laws
  • consists of house of commons and house of lords.
• Government:

  • Runs the country
  • Responsibility for developing policy
  • Drafts new laws
  • Formed by the political party that wins most seats
  • Party leader becomes prime minister
• House of commons:

  • general elections are held every 5 years
  • Mps are elected
  • electorate vote based on the party manifesto
• House of lords:

  • Non elected body consisting of hereditary peers, life peers and bishops
  • Acts as a check on the house of commons.
• Green paper:

  • Consultation document
  • Sets out the idea and reasoning for a new law
• White paper:

  • After the consultation
  • Minister may have made amendments
  • Set of firm proposals passed to the cabinet for approval
  • Drafted as a bill.
• Bill:

  • How an act starts out
  • Can begin in the house of lord or house of commons
  • Must be debated and approved by parliament.
• Public bills - government bills:

  • Preceded by green/ white paper
  • Drafted by civil servants
  • The minister resposnible guides it thriugh parliament
  • If the gov have a majority it becomes a law
  • E.g human rights act 1998
• Public bill - private member bill:

  • Introduced by an individual mp
  • Covers non political party issues
  • Mps enter their name into a ballot. 20 names are pulled and given limited time to introduce it.
  • They can make a speech of up to 10 mins supporting the introduction of new legislation.
• Private member bill:

  • Often fail due to lack of gov support
  • e.g abortion act 1967
• Private bill:

  • proposed laws affect one area of the country, organsation, individuals
  • E.g whitehaven harbour act 2007
• First reading:

  • Bill is formally introduced
  • Mps consider proposals
  • No debate or vote
• Second reading:

  • Main debate of the bill
  • Focus on the wider issues
  • Majority vote required for bill to proceed
• Committee stage:

  • Bill is scrutinised in detail by a small committee of 15-60 mps
  • They can make amendments to the bill
• Report stage:

  • The committee reports back to parliament to inform them of any changes
  • This will be debated and voted on
  • More amendments may be suggested
• Third reading:

  • House gets final chance to look at the bill
  • It cannot be changed now
  • If there are no challenges it will be passed to other house
• other house:

  • the process will be repeated in the other house
  • They will make amendments and the other house will consider them
  • If the other house doesn’t accept them they send it back for reconsideration.
  • creates a ping pong effect.
  • parliament act 1911+1949 allows the commons to pass the bill without lords consent
• Royal assent:

  • Monarch gives approval
  • Only a formality
  • Bill is act of parliament