Use of Parliament

• Parliament gained far greater importance as a result of Henry’s need to carry out major changes.
• The Reformation Parliament asserted the supreme authority, or sovereignty, of Parliament in making statute, or more precisely the sovereignty of King-in-Parliament, the royal authority embodied in law passed by the monarch, Lords and Commons.
• He realised that royal power was at its strongest when it was expressed through parliamentary statute.
• This established that there were three components necessary for legislation: King, Lords and Commons. Legislation was the responsibility of all three components.
• This was an exceptional example of the use of Parliament. It did not become the norm.
• After 1534, the role of Parliament largely reverted to approving extra financial resources in times of need. Monarchs, did, however, make use of the new power of the Crown and Parliament when necessary.
• The Reformation Parliament also increased the power of the Crown. It gave the King control of new areas of policy and opened up extra sources of revenue.