Law Making Process

Question 1

government is made up of 3 parts

Answer 1

legislature
executive
judiciary

Question 2

what is legislature? (parliament)

Answer 2

Has the responsibility for checking existing laws and creating news ones.

Question 3

what is executive? (monarchy)

Answer 3

Monarchs made laws until the late 17th century (thinking they were subject only to God not law) causing conflict over supremacy, leading to civil war. Parliament later asserted its dominance through a bill of rights.

Question 4

what is judiciary? (judges/magistrates)

Answer 4

Judges follow Parliament’s laws but can create judge-made law when necessary. Most UK laws are made by Parliament, reflecting democratic principles.

Question 5

two houses of Parliament

Answer 5

house of commons
house of lords

Question 6

house of commons

Answer 6

Members of the house are elected by voters in 650 constituencies every five years. majority party (Conservatives) forms the gov and play a key role in creating laws, but MPs from all parties, eg. the opposition and backbenchers, participate in the process.

Question 7

house of lords

Answer 7

The House of Lords consists of non-elected members, including hereditary and life peers. In 1999, reforms introduced nominated and elected members, removing automatic entitlement based on inherited titles.

Question 8

similarities of the two houses of parliament

Question 9

differences of the two houses of parliament

Question 10

what is separation of powers?

Answer 10

major institutions of the state should be separate and no individual should have powers in more than one of these offices because it prevents the concentration of power, promotes accountability, and safeguards individual liberties through checks and balances.

Question 11

government policies/law come from?

Answer 11

new law
changing existing law

Question 12

policy ideas

Answer 12

Political parties (e.g. Conservative, Labour, Lib Dems, Green)
Individual politicians
Voluntary organisations
Public opinion
Petitions
Response to current affairs (e.g. Coronavirus, equal pay, terrorism)

Question 13

law creation stages

Answer 13

Green Paper
White Paper
Draft Stage
First Reading
Second Reading
Committee Stage
Report Stage
Third Reading
Other House
Royal Assent

Question 14

green paper

Answer 14

The document presents proposed law changes, inviting public input and debate through meetings and consultations outside government.

Question 15

white paper

Answer 15

draft bill of formal proposals to present to Parliament

Question 16

draft stage

Answer 16

Draft stage allows final Bill changes before Parliament; informal steps remain integral.

Question 17

first reading

Answer 17

formal introduction of bill to Parliament

Question 18

second reading

Answer 18

bill is debated in Parliament

Question 19

committee stage

Answer 19

Bills are scrutinized line-by-line in Committees (16 to 50 members) including specialists in the relevant field.

Question 20

report stage

Answer 20

MPs debate, amend the Bill, take final vote

Question 21

third reading

Answer 21

After amendments, the Bill is reread in its originating house for a short debate focusing only on its content, leading to a final vote on approval.

Question 22

other house

Answer 22

After passing through one house, amendments are typically made in the other house, leading to a back-and-forth process until both houses agree on the final version of the Bill.

Question 23

royal assent

Answer 23

After thorough consideration by specialists and the legislative process, the Monarch’s royal assent, often given by the Lord Chancellor, is a formality, signaling agreement with the Bill.

Question 24

types of bills

Answer 24

Private members Bills
Public Bills
Private Bills
Hybrid Bills

Question 25

private member bills

Answer 25

Besides government ministers, individual MPs from any party can present Bills, though few succeed. eg. the Abortion Act 1967, which made significant legal changes.

Question 26

two ways private member bills can be introduced

Answer 26

by ballot: Twenty private members are selected to present Bills via ballot, but only the first six or seven are likely to get a full debate due to time constraints.

through the ‘ten-minute’ rule: MPs can speak for up to ten minutes in support of new legislation, but success is rare without opposition.

Question 27

example of private member bill through the ‘ten-minute’ rule

Answer 27

Bail (Amendment) Act 1993 which allowed prosecution right to appeal bail being granted to a defendant

Question 28

public bill

Answer 28

Bills concerning general public policy affecting the whole country or most people (majority of bills)

Question 29

private bill

Answer 29

these Bills affect a small proportion of society eg. certain individuals or a corporation (less common)

Question 30

hybrid bill

Answer 30

cross between Private and Public Bills. They concern specified individual but can affect the general public.