Parliamentary law making pt1 B Flashcards
Which house has the members elected?
House of commons
What are the 2 types of peers in house of lords? And what do they mean?
hereditary ( title and place in house inherited) and life (nominated by prime minister, peerage doesn’t pass to children)
What is a constituency and how many are there?
Areas within England and Wales, there’s 650
What is a green paper (GP)?
A proposal for a new law, uncertain statement, consultation paper
Who can make laws?
Parliament and Judges
What is a White Paper (WP)?
A firm proposal/statement, consultation taken into account
Which Bill affects a small population?
Private
Which bill produces the majority of laws in the UK?
Public
Which bill uses the 10 minute rule?
Private Members
Which bill produces the least amount of laws in the UK?
Private Members
What does a green paper go through before becoming a white paper?
lots of consultation and scrutiny
True/false: a law can go straight to a white paper
true
What is the main benefit of the green paper in the law making process?
it brings in groups of people where they can discuss the impacts of the paper and consult it
What is the first reading?
short title and aims read out, formality
What is the second reading?
main debate around main principles, then a vote
What is the committee stage?
thoroughly examine and scrutinize every clause, in HOC there are 16/50 MPs that form a standing committee (specific people), in HOL all the lords examine it
What is the Report stage?
committee reports back to the house about amendments and additions, if there are none it goes to the next stage
What is the third reading?
final vote, passed to the other house
What is the royal assent?
monarch gives approval, formality
What is the order of law making? (from green paper)
green paper, white paper, first reading, second reading, committee stage, report stage, third reading, royal assent
What happens after the third reading (for the first time)?
it is passed to the other house where the process takes place again
What is Parliamentary ‘ping pong’?
when neither house can decide, so the bill goes back and forth between them
What can HOC use to bypass HOL in this process?
Parliament Act
When and what was the last law that the monarch refused to approve?
In 1707, the Scottish Militia Act was refused
How long does the law making process usually take?
9 months
What are 2 advantages of the Parliamentary law making process?
- there is a lot of stages where thorough research is done, they are scrutinized and debated, which means less room for mistakes
- debated by elected politicians, so democratic
What are 2 disadvantages of the Parliamentary law making process?
- the house of lords and monarch, who are unelected have a large say and influence of the process, arguing that it is undemocratic
- it can take up to 9 months for a law to finish the process
