Primary Legislation

• what else is primary legislation called?

  acts of parliament and statute
• define normative

  Based on our agreed common standards
• what are the problems with legislation?

  Society is constantly changing so our parliament continues to make new laws to keep up - suicide act 1961
• what is parliament?

  The U.K.’s supreme legislative body
• how many acts does parliament pass each year?

  20 to 50
• What is the House of Commons?

  A democratically elected body consisting of 650 MPs who are elected every five years
• What is the House of Lords?

  A non-democratic body appointed by the king on behalf of the prime minister and, consisting of approximately 800 members. Including life peers, hereditary peers, archbishops and bishops.
• What is the monarch?

  The third component of parliament. A broadly ceremonial role who appoints a government, opens and dissolves Parliament delivers the speech and gives royals assent.
• What is the name given to the process that transforms an idea to a bill?

  The pre-legislative process
• What is the name of the process that transforms a bill to an act?

  The legislative process
• What is the main aspects of the pre-legislative process?

  Green paper and white paper
• What is green paper?

  Green paper is issued by a government minister. It is a consultative document that lays out broad proposals (interested parties are invited to give opinion) for a new law.
• What is white paper?

  White paper is a full firm proposal which is drafted, debated and voted on by government. once published is called a bill
• What are the four types of bills?

  Public bills

  private bill

  Hybrid bills

  Private members bills
• What is a public bill?

  A public bill is a proposed by Government ministers. includes issues involving public policy. Applies countrywide
• Name a public bill that became an act and impacted on the whole country in 2020

  Coronavirus Act 2020
• What is a private bill?

  Legislation proposed by individuals or corporations. apply to the group proposing the change
• Name the private bill that became an act that was passed to combine three medical teaching institutions in 1996

  The UCL act 1996
• What is a hybrid bill?

  Proposed by government ministers. Apply to the general public and have specific impact.
• Name an example of a hybrid bill?

  Channel tunnel
• What is a private members bill?

  Proposed by an individual MP/Lord. It can apply countrywide or to a particular group. At each parliament session, 20 names are drawn from a ballot. Due to time constraints only the first 6 or 7 present a bill to parliament
• Name the legislative process

  First reading

  Second reading

  Committee Stage

  Report stage

  Third reading

  Second house

  Royal assent
• What is the first reading?

  a formality where the name and main aims of the Bill are read out in front of parliament
• What happens in the second reading?

  the main debate and vote
• What happens in the committee stage?

  16-50 MPs/ Lords examine the bill. If it’s a finance Bill the whole house sits in
• What happens in the report stage?

  Any amendments made are reported back to the house where they will be debated and accepted or rejected. This stage is important as it prevents small committees from amending the Bill against the wishes of the house.
• What happens in the third reading?

  The final vote
• What is royal assent?

  Where the monarch formally approves the bill
• What bill must start in the HC?

  Finance Bills
• What did the parliament act of 1911 do?


  prevented the house of Lords from blocking finance bills
• What did the parliament act of 1949 mean?


  The house of commons can seek royal assent without the approval of the House of Lords after 1 year
• How many times has the HL been bypassed since 1949?

  4 times
• How many times has the House of Lords been bypassed since 1911?

  Seven times
• Give an example of when the House of Commons bypassed the HL?

  The Hunting Act 2004
• What is the short title of an act?

  the subject matter and the year it became law
• What is the chapter number in an act?

  shows how many statutes have been passed that year
• What are the contents of an act?

  the scope of the act
• What is the long title of an act?

  a description of the purpose of the act
• What do the sections and chapters in an act help?

  They help when trying to reference the relevant part of the act
• What are the explanatory notes in an act?

  provides an overview of the act