Types of legislation

Question 1

What is primary legislation and what are the different types

Answer 1

• Primary legislation are statutes/ acts of parliament - the purest form of legislation
• Public bills - Gov’s programme of legislation
• Private bills - introduced for particular individuals, groups, localities, etc
• can have hybrid public and private bills such as the High Speed Rail Bill - 2017 - 2019
• Private member’s bills - introduced by MPs or Lords who are not govt. ministers - hunting act 2004, assaults on emergency workers (offences) Act 2018 - far more proposed and have a very low success rate particularly compared with govt.

Question 2

What is secondary legislation and what are the different types

Answer 2

• Secondary legislation is delegated legislation that is still very much part of law and must be followed but it derives from different authorities such as govt. ministers and agencies who have been given the power by statutes
• Local govt. legislation - bye-laws
• Statutory instruments (SI) - orders, regulations, rules - drafted by gov. departments - often used for EU derivatives

Question 3

What is meant by Parliamentary sovereignty

Answer 3

• Parliament has the power to do anything it wants, it is supreme and has all the control - this is an integral part of the uk constitution

Question 4

True or false - The UK parliament system is Bicameral

Answer 4

• True - just means there are two chambers of parliament - House of Commons and House of Lords