Law making - Influences on parliament + Law commission

Question 1

Public Opinion

Answer 1

-Public vote in elections
-If large public support then MPs will be encouraged to bring it into law
-They do this to win public favour and votes
-Most likely to occur just before a general election

Question 2

Public Opinion - Example

Answer 2

EU Referendum
European Union Withdrawal agreement act (Brexit)

Question 3

Media

Answer 3

-Helps to bring public opinion on an issue to the governments awareness
-This increases public support
-Can also influence the public to hold a certain opinion

Question 4

Media - Examples

Answer 4

Firearms (amendment) act 1997

Question 5

Lobbyists

Answer 5

-People who try to persuade individual MPs by meeting with them
-Can be an individual person or a professional lobbyists (who has inside connections)

Question 6

Lobbyists - Examples

Answer 6

Finance companies and banks have professional lobbyists who have close links with a certain party.

Question 7

Pressure Groups

Answer 7

-Groups of people with similar interests who raise awareness on an issue, they campaign for changes to the law
-Can be interest groups (represent interests of certain groups)
-Can be cause groups (campaign for a certain cause)

Question 8

Pressure Groups - Examples

Answer 8

Interest Groups - Stonewall, s.28 Local Government Act 1988
Cause Groups - Legal Against cruel sports, Hunting Act 2004

Question 9

Evaluation - Political parties

Answer 9

Advantages:
- Manifesto informs the public of the parties intentions before they vote (HUMAN RIGHTS ACT)
- When a party wins they will be able to bring in the promises that they have outlined, THEY’LL HAVE THE MAJORITY (PARLIAMENT ACTS)
- Political parties will have a ready made set of goals if they win an election (from manifesto)
- Democratic

Disadvantage:
- Newly elected governments can repeal any proposals from the previous party, which may cause confusion in the law
- They can do this due to parliamentary supremacy
- Parties dont always keep their manifesto promises (DEB PROMISED TO LOWER TUITION FEES IN 2010 INSTEAD INCREASED THEM)
- Manifestos are too long so people dont usually read them fully

Question 10

What is Law commision?

Answer 10

The main aim of the law commission is to keep all law under review. And it consists of four lawyers and a high court judge of 5 years.

Question 11

What is the job role of the law commission consist of?

Answer 11

Law Commission job is to:
1. Codify
2. Consolidate
and
3. Repeal
The Law

Question 12

What does it mean to Codify the Law?

Answer 12

Codifying the Law is where they bring together all existing law in one are into one Act of parliament and this includes combining existing acts of parliament and common law.

Question 13

What is consolidation of the Law?

Answer 13

This is similar to codifying, however it only combines existing acts of parliament - sentencing act 2020

Question 14

What is repeal of the Law?

Answer 14

Where they identify old laws which are no longer needed and recommend these laws to be removed - Statue Law 1998

Question 15

What are the five processes of the Law Commission?

Answer 15

• Referral
• Research
• Consultation
• Proposals for reform
• Draft Bill

Question 16

Evaluation - Law commission

Answer 16

Advantages:
- Research carried out by legal experts who understand the Law.
- Consultation process allows for the views of interested groups to be considered
- Whole areas of the law are looked at and reform can make more coherent
- They are independent and free from the government control so (non - political)

Disadvantages:
- Only one third of their suggestions lead to changes in the Law
- They can be researching up to 20 - 30 areas of the law at any one time, meaning their research can lack focus
- It can take years to produce a report
- No guarantee final law will reflect the Law commission’s proposals.