Topic 1: Parliamentary Law Making Flashcards
Who is the UK Parliament split up into?
House of Commons
House of Lords
The monarch
What are the different types of peers, and which house are they in?
Hereditary, life
In the House of Lords
What is being the monarch also called?
The head of state
How do you introduce an act of Parliament?
A long and formal process
What are the different types of bill?
Private members bill
Private bill
Public bill
Who do the private members bills address?
Apply to the general population
How can an MP introduce a private members bill?
By ballot
By ten-minutes rule
Who does a public bill apply to?
The whole of the country or a large proportion
Who makes public bills?
The government, the majority of bills are made this way
Who does a private bill apply to?
Individual people or companies
Who introduces private bills?
Organisations, private companies
Give an example of. Private members bill
The Abortion Act 1967
Give an example of a public bill?
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
Give an example of a private bill?
The Faversham Oyster Fishery Company Bill 2016
What is the acronym we use for the bill making process?
Green Winged Dragons Fly Slowly Clockwise Round The Old Ruin
And what does the GWDFSCRTOR acronym stand for?
Green paper, white paper, draft bill, first reading, second hearing, committee Stage, report Stage, third reading, other house, royal assent.
What is the green paper Stage?
Create discussion, people inside parliament can make suggestions
What is the white paper?
Allows MP’s to feedback on the bill, form the basis of the draft (to those who are drafting it)
What is the draft bill Stage?
The bill is drafted by government lawyers, published and then the formal legislative process will begin
What is the first reading Stage?
Name of the bill and it’s purpose will be read out, no discussion, a vote to see if people think it should continue
What is the second reading?
Main debate on the whole bill, discuss main principles rather than small details
What is the committee Stage?
A detail examination of each clause, committee is 12-20 MP’s, they will be expertise on the subject
What is the report Stage?
The committee will report back to the House of Commons, they’ll then be debated
What is the third reading?
A final vote takes place on wether the bill should continue in the process, UNLIKELY TO FAIL AT THIS STAGE
What is the ‘other house’ Stage?
Depending where the bill started, it now goes to the other house and will go through the same process, also known as Parliament ping pong
What is the royal assent Stage?
The monarch family gives approval to the bill
What did the Parliament Act 1911 do?
Restricted the House of Lords delaying powers to 2 years and removed their power to veto a bill
What did the Parliament Act 1949 do?
Further reduced the House of Lords delaying powers to 1 year
What are the influences on Parliament?
Public opinion
Pressure groups
Lobbyists
Politics/party manifesto
What are the advantages to the legislative procedure?
It upholds the rule of law principle
Is intensely scrutinised
Conducted by those who are democratically elected
Allows for constitution
What are the disadvantages of the legislative procedure?
Acts can be complex and lack clarity
Time consuming
Confusing for the public
Undemocratic
