THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London. Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and its territories. At its head is the Sovereign (the monarchy of the United Kingdom), Queen Elizabeth II.
The parliament is bicameral, with an upper house, the House of Lords, and a lower house, the House of Commons. The Queen is the third component of the legislature.
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Treaty of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland passing Acts of Union. Parliament was further enlarged by the ratification by the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland of the Act of Union (1800). The Government of Ireland Act 1920 created the parliaments of Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland and reduced the representation of both parts at Westminster. The Irish Free State became independent in 1922, and in 1927 parliament was renamed the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
In theory, supreme legislative power is vested in the Queen-in-Parliament – in practice in modern times, real power is vested in the House of Commons, as the Sovereign generally acts on the advice of the Prime Minister, and the powers of the House of Lords have been limited.
The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom – the House of Lords and the House of Commons. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames in the heart of the London borough of the City of Westminster, close to the historic Westminster Abbey and the government buildings of Whitehall and Downing Street.
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It meets in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body. It’s made up for 650 elected members who are known as Members of Parliament (MPs). Each MP represents one area – constituency. They are elected by general election and by-election. They hold their seats until Parliament is dissolved (a maximum of five years after the preceding election).
The Speaker is the presiding officer of the House of Commons. The Speaker is responsible for:
o determining which members may speak
o keep order during debate
o punishing members who break the rules of the House
o supervising voting
o announcing the results of the voting.
Members of Parliament:
o England – 529 seats
o Scotland – 59 seats
o Wales – 40 seats
o Northern Ireland – 18 seats
Meetings
o Monday – Thursday – 2.30 pm. – 10.30 pm.
o Friday – 9.30 pm. – 3.30 pm.
The Members of Parliament meet in the old Chamber of the House of Common.
THE HOUSE OF LORDS
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It also meets in the Palace of Westminster. It is independent from, and complements the work of, the House of Commons – they share responsibility for making laws and checking government action. Bills can be introduced into either the House of Lords or the House of Commons and members of the Lords may also take on roles as Government Ministers. The Speech from the throne, often known as the Queen's Speech, is delivered from the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament. The House also has a minor Church of England role in that through the Lords Spiritual Church Measures must be tabled within the House.
The State Opening of Parliament is an annual event that marks the commencement of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is held in the House of Lords Chamber, usually in November or December or, in a general election year, when the new Parliament first assembles.
Work of the House of Lords:
o Legislation
o Examining Government work
o Examining European
Lords in the House of Lords:
o The Lord Chancellor is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Lord Chancellor is a member of the Cabinet and, by law, is responsible for the efficient functioning and independence of the courts.
o The Lord Speaker is the speaker of the House of Lords. The office is analogous to the Speaker of the House of Commons – the Lord Speaker is elected by the members of the House of Lords and is expected to be politically impartial. The main functions of the Lord Speaker are:
o to take the chair in debates held in the chamber of the House of Lords,
o to advise the House of Lords on procedural rules
o to take formal responsibility for security in the areas of the Palace of Westminster occupied by the House of Lords and its members
o to speak for the House of Lords on ceremonial occasions
o to represent the House of Lords as its ambassador in the UK and overseas.
The role has less power than the Speaker of the House of Commons.
o Lords Spiritual (Spiritual Peers) are the 26 bishops of the established Church of England who serve in the House of Lords.
o Lords Temporal are secular members of the House of Lords.
o Lords of Appeal (Law Lords) are the most senior members of the judiciary. They constitute the highest court of appeal in the land for most legal cases.
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system. The term is used both collectively to refer to the entire body of noble titles (or a subdivision thereof), and individually to refer to a specific title (and generally has an initial capital in the former case and not the latter). The holder of a peerage is termed a peer.
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