Unit 4 - AC1.1

Question 1

What does the exam board refer to statute law as?

Answer 1

Government or parliamentary processes made by the government

Question 2

What does the exam board refer to common law as?

Answer 2

Judicial processes made by judges

Question 3

How is major legislation usually made through?

Answer 3

Acts of parliament

Question 4

How many ministerial departments make up the UK government? What are the three examples?

Answer 4

23 - Ministry of defence, ministry of justice, department of education

Question 5

Why are there different ministrial departments?

Answer 5

The particular ministry which is responsible for the area in which a change in the law is being considered will draft ideas for change

Question 6

How would the ideas of draft bills be published?

Answer 6

In a consultation paper aka green paper

Question 7

What is a green paper?

Answer 7

The first draft of a proposed law

Question 8

What type of document is a green paper made from?

Answer 8

A consultative document on a topic which the government’s view is put forward with proposals for law reform

Question 9

What would a green paper outline?

Answer 9

Possible changes, often with alternatives listed as well, and anyone can comment on those ideas during the Consultation stage

Question 10

What do pressure groups and members of the public have to do with green papers?

Answer 10

They are invited to send comments and opinions to the relevant government departments about the draft

Question 11

What comes after the green paper is created?

Answer 11

The white paper is created aka the bill

Question 12

What is the white paper?

Answer 12

The government will use the feedback from the green paper to create and publish a firm proposal, a ‘final draft’, for a new law

Question 13

What are the two houses of parliament?

Answer 13

The house of commons
The house of lords

Question 14

What is the house of commons?

Answer 14

A chamber with 650 constituencies being represented by their elected politicians.

Question 15

What are constituencies and how many are there is the UK?

Answer 15

Regions of the country - there are 650

Question 16

Who are members of the house of commons?

Answer 16

All government ministers including the prime minister

Question 17

What is the role of the house of commons in law making?

Answer 17

Most bills are introduced in the house of commons first. They will conduct a debate on the issue of the policy as well as on the specific details of the bill. After these debates, they will vote on whether to pass the bill through to the next stages.

Question 18

What happens when the house of commons votes against a bill?

Answer 18

Then it will not become an act of parliament

Question 19

What is the house of lords?

Answer 19

An unelected body chamber made up of Lords Temporal, Lords spiritual, and also hereditary peers.

Question 20

What is the lord temporal?

Answer 20

appointed by the king on the advice of the prime minister

Question 21

What is the lord spiritual?

Answer 21

archbishops and bishops

Question 22

What are hereditary peers?

Answer 22

members who inherit their titles

Question 23

What is the role of house of lords in law making?

Answer 23

They act as a revising and scrutinising body. All bills go through the house of lords as well as the house of commons, and they can vote against proposed changes to the law

Question 24

What happens if the house of lords vote against a bill? Include the act

Answer 24

Powers are limited by the Parliaments Act 1911/1949. This Act allows a bill to become a law even if the house of lords rejects it, provided that the bill is reintroduced into the house of commons and passes all the stages again

Question 25

How long can the house of lords delay a law by?

Answer 25

Up to one year

Question 26

What is the monarch? and who is the current monarch?

Answer 26

A monarch is the sovereign head of state. Their position is inherited, lifelong and their position is passed to their firstborn child upon death. King Charles III is the current monarch

Question 27

What is the role of the monarch in law making?

Answer 27

Largely ceremonial and symbolic. They aren't not involved in the creation, debate or voting of proposed laws. Their main role is to provide royal assent, which is the final stage of parliamentary process

Question 28

What is royal assent?

Answer 28

the monarch approving and 'singing off' the approved bill. Once this happens it becomes an Act of Parliament

Question 29

Who and when was the last time royal assent was refused?

Answer 29

By Queen Anne in 1708

Question 30

How many stages are there in the parliamentary stages of law making? name them:

Answer 30

7 1- consultation stage 2-first reading 3-second reading 4-committee stage 5-report stage 6-third reading 7-royal assent

Question 31

What happens in the consultation stage of law making?

Answer 31

The government makes a draft of the bill and asks senior officials to make comments, along with members of the public and pressure groups. During this stage the green and white papers are published

Question 32

What happens in the first reading of law making?

Answer 32

The government announces the bill by reading its title in one of the houses

Question 33

What happens in the second reading of law making?

Answer 33

This is the first main debating stage where members can discuss the bill followed by the first vote. This bill could be voted out at this stage and a successful vote is needed before it passes stage 4

Question 34

What happens in the committee stage in law making?

Answer 34

A small groups of expert members will complete a detailed review where the bill is examined for issues and amendments can be suggested

Question 35

What happens in the report stage in law making?

Answer 35

The amendments made during the committee stage are reported back to the relevant house by the committee chairman. Members will then debate and vote on the proposed changes to the bill

Question 36

What happens in the third reading in law making?

Answer 36

This is the final debate and overall consideration of the bill. This stage provides the last opportunity to raise any issues. No further amendments are allowed and a final vote is held to pass or reject the bill

Question 37

What is meant by 'the other house'?

Answer 37

After the third reading the bill is then passed to the other house. They will then repeat stages 2-6 to check the quality of the proposed bill. This can result in a 'ping pong' effect

Question 38

What is meant by 'ping pong' effect in law making?

Answer 38

Any amendments made have to be passed back to the original house to be considered and approved. This can lead to a 'ping pong' between the houses where a bill is passed back and forth several times until both houses agree

Question 39

What happens in the final stage of royal assent in law making?

Answer 39

The ruling monarch signs off the bill as a new law. This makes it an official law aka an act of parliament giving it statutory power

Question 40

What are the two main methods of law making in the Criminal Justice System of England and Wales?

Answer 40

statute law common law