Parliamentary Law-Making Flashcards
Who are in the houses of lords and commons?
commons- 650 elected mps
lords- 240 elected members, 60 appointed “independent members” (300) and some bishops
What does an act of parliament start as?
a bill
what are the 2 types of bill?
private bills- become laws which only apply to particular individuals or organisations
public bills- become laws which apply to the whole country
what can public bills start as?
government bills- introduced by gov to carry out manifest promises
private members’ bills- introduced by back bench mps. less likely to succeed unless they have support from gov. e.g abortion act 1967 introduced by David Steel.
what is a green and white paper?
published by government during pre legislative stage
gp- proposal for a new law which is published and brought to the attention of interested parties
wp- firm proposal which takes into account views received from the gps consultation
example of a green paper?
the social housing green paper which aimed to rebalance the relationship between residents and landlords
what’s a bill?
a proposed law introduced into parliament
Green winged dragons fly slowly clockwise round the old ruin
green paper, white paper, draft bill, first reading, second reading, committee stage, report stage, third reading, other house, royal assent
What are the only types of bills which start with a green n white paper?
government bills
outline the parliamentary law making legislative process in detail
cba to write it down, look in ur booklet. or just remember it mate
What are the advantages of parliamentary law making?
democratic- can vote out an ineffective gov in general election every 5 years
consultation- gov can take into account objections and further suggestions on their proposals before a bill is presented to parliament
discussion- any new law will be thoroughly discussed
law commission- consulted widely and investigated the state of existing law n the need for reform n parl can act on these n leads to less contentious n better drafted legislation
disadvantages to parl law making?
undemocratic- lords are unelected n the approval of the crown. Mps often obliged to ‘take the whip’ n vote on party lines rather than voting w their conscience/ interest of their constituents
gov/parl don’t always have time/inclination to deal w all the reforms proposed e.g law on assaults is still waiting on reform.
gov allows little time to consider pm bills
