LEGISLATION

 • ACT OF PARLIAMENT= A STATUTE • “SOVEREIGNTY OF PARLIAMENT”—Supreme law.

• PARLIAMENT—2 ASSEMBLIES • HOUSE OF COMMONS (MPs) & HOUSE OF LORDS (not as a court)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/guides/newsid_8144000/8144100.stm

       

Tours of Houses of Parliament

• http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7F1AFC4FF75A3725&feature=plcp  

• Can you tell which is which?

House of Commons

• Who is your local MP?• http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/mps • How many MPs are there in the HC?

• How often are MPs elected?• What ‘s the difference between the Government and Parliament?

http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/ 

House of Lords

• Unelected and unpaid (expenses) 

• http://www.parliament.uk/business/lords/whos-in-the-house-of-lords/members-and-their-roles/  

• Why have a second House?• What does it do?

Activity - In groups decide where each statement belongs

Role of the House of Commons

Role of the House of Lords Role of the Crown

How to behave in a mature democracy

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPEtYiKOxNU&feature=related  

Bill to Act (Stages)FIRST READING formal – title & main aims introduced, quick vote, no debate 

SECOND READING                       main debate, Minister  or promoter leads      

COMMITTEE STAGE                     clause by clause, Standing Committee 16-50 MPs, make amendments 

REPORT STAGE report back to house, amendments debated and voted on

THIRD READING                          review, final vote, send to other house

 HOUSE OF LORDS                        similar process

ROYAL ASSENT becomes law 

Passage of a Bill

• http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/laws/flash-passage-bill/  

Activity

• In twos or threes arrange the stages that a Bill goes through in the correct order

There are different types of ...

Types of Bill

• Public Bills– Government– Private Members

• Private  Bills• Hybrid Bills

How many Bills do you think are currently going through the parliamentary process?

• http://services.parliament.uk/bills/  

Homework

• Read the chapter on Parliamentary law-making in a textbook

• Research the different influences on Parliament and bring an example of an influence to class a week today – it can be a magazine or newspaper article (or screengrab), or a pamphlet

• There will be a test this time next week

Advantages of Parliamentary law-making

• Scrutiny• Democratic• Government control• The House of Lords• Flexibility

Disadvantages of parliamentary law-making

• Undemocratic• Government control• Slow• Dated processes, language and statistics