2A.1.1 Legislative process Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

Bill

A

The name for a draft law going through Parliament before it passes all the parliamentary stages to become an Act of Parliament.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Green paper

A

A consultative document issued by the government putting forward proposals for reform of the law.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

White paper

A

A document issued by the government stating its decisions as to how it is going to reform the law.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Act of Parliament

A

A law that has passed through all stages in Parliament and becomes part of the law of the land.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Legislative process [flow chart]

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

The process of an Act of Parliament

A

1) Green paper – Document for consultation.

2) White Paper – Details the government’s firm proposals for the bill.

3) 1st reading in Commons – Name and main aims of bill is read out

4) 2nd reading in Commons – Main debate and vote

5) Committee – Examination of every clause in minute detail by a Standing Committee.

6) Report stage – Committee reports back to House of Commons with any proposed amendments. Amendments will be debated in the House and accepted or rejected.

7) 3rd reading in Commons – Debate and vote. If it passes this stage is progresses onto the House of Lords.

8) House of Lords – Same process repeats. If any amendments are proposed, these are sent back to the House of Commons to be made. Parliamentary Ping Pong.

9) Royal assent – Bill is signed off by the King (a formality). (This is done after the bill passes through the House of Lords).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

1st reading

A

The name and main aims of bill is read out

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

2nd reading

A

The main debating stage, where MPs can discuss the bill and vote on it.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Voting stage

A

MPs vote by filing through division lobbies in Parliament.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Committee stage

A

Examination of every clause in minute detail by a committee.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Report stage

A

Committee reports back to House of Commons with any proposed amendments. Amendments will be debated in the House and accepted or rejected.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

3rd reading

A

Overall consideration of the bill and final votes to decide whether it goes any further.

If it passes this stage is progresses onto the House of Lords.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

The legislative process in the House of Lords

A

If the bill passes in the House of Commons, it will progress into the House of Lords. The House of Lords will follow the same process as the Commons.

If it passes successfully, it is passed on to the King for Royal Assent.
If it does not pass, it is sent back to the House of Commons, with amendments.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

The role of the Crown in the legislative process

A

The final stage is where the monarch formally gives approval to the Bill and it then becomes an Act of Parliament and part of the law.

This is now a formality and, under the Royal Assent Act 1967, the monarch will not even have the text of the Bills to which he is assenting – he will only see the title.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Importance of consultation

A

Consultation before any new law is valuable because it allows time for consideration. From time to time, governments are criticised for responding in a ‘knee-jerk’ fashion to incidents or a situation and, as a result, rushing through law that has subsequently proved to be unworkable. This occurred with the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

The Parliaments Act 1911 and 1949

A

The power of the House of Lords to reject a Bill is limited by the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949. These allow a Bill to become law even if the House of Lords rejects it, provided that the Bill is reintroduced into the House of Commons in the next session of Parliament and passes all the stages again there.

17
Q

What are the differnt types of bills?

A
  • Public Bills
  • Private Bills
  • Private Members’ Bills
18
Q

When do bills become an act of parliament?

A

After it successfully completes all the necessary stages in Parliament.

19
Q

Public bills

A

The most frequent form of bill. They usually involve matters of public policy that will affect either the whole country or a large section of it. Most government bills are in this category. For example, the Public Order Act, LASPO 2012, Equality Act 2010.

20
Q

Private Bills

A

Private bills are designed to only affect individual people or corporations, not the whole country.

  • For example, the University College London Act 1996 was passed to combine the three hospitals together.
21
Q

Private Members’ Bills

A

Private members’ bills are introduced and sponsored by individual MPs. Under the parliamentary process, there can be a ballot in each parliamentary session in which 20 private members are selected to present a Bill to Parliament.

22
Q

Relatively few Private Members’ Bills become law, but there have been some important laws passed as a result of such bills.

Give examples of some Private Members’ Bills

A
  • The Abortion Act 1967, which legalised abortion in Great Britain
  • The Marriage Act 1994, which allowed people to marry in any registered place, not only in register offices or religious buildings
  • The Household Waste Recycling Act 2003, which places local authorities under a duty to recycle waste.