-
8/8/2019 The UK State System[1]
1/11
The United KingdomThe State System
-
8/8/2019 The UK State System[1]
2/11
What do you know about the UK
state system? Who is the Head of State of the UK?
Who is the Head of Government in Britain?
What is the law-making body of the UK? What does the British
parliament consist of?
How does a parliamentary bill become a law?
Who is the most important officer of the House ofCommons?
Who is the chairman of the House of Lords?
-
8/8/2019 The UK State System[1]
3/11
State System
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and NorthernIreland is a
constitutional monarchy, in which theMonarch is the Head of State
and the Prime Minister
of the United Kingdom is the Head of Government.
Elizabeth II
(since 1952)
David Cameron
(since 2010)
-
8/8/2019 The UK State System[1]
4/11
The British Constitution
is the set of laws and principles under which theUnited Kingdom
is governed
has been developed over many centuries and cannotbe found in any
one single document
includes parliamentary constitutional conventionsand royal
prerogatives
can be altered by by passing new Acts of Parliament
One of several shelves full of books aboutthe UK constitution at
a law library
-
8/8/2019 The UK State System[1]
5/11
The UK Government
Since 1688 it has had three separate organs:
- the legislature (is vested in both the government andtwo
chambers of Parliament, the House of Commonsand the House of
Lords)
- the executive (is exercised by the government)
- the judiciary (is independent of the executive and
legislature, ruled by the Supreme Court of the
UnitedKingdom)
The wordmark forthe Government of the United Kingdom,
showing the abbreviation HM for Her Majesty's
-
8/8/2019 The UK State System[1]
6/11
The UK Parliament the law-making
body of the British peopleconsists of three elements:
- the Monarchy
- the House of Commons (lower house)- the House of Lords (upper
house)
Parliament meets at the Palace of Westminster
-
8/8/2019 The UK State System[1]
7/11
The Monarchy
The monarchs principle functions are:
- to carry out certain ceremonial duties, the Queen isregarded
as a national symbol
- to sign all the bills before they become laws ( buthe or she
cannot veto any of them)
-
8/8/2019 The UK State System[1]
8/11
The House of Commons
consists of 650 elected members called Members ofParliament
(MPs)
The Speaker is the most important officer of theHouse of Commons
whose function is to maintainorder in debates and presides over
them
Its main purpose is
- to make laws by passing Acts of Parliament
- to discuss current political issues
-
8/8/2019 The UK State System[1]
9/11
The House of Lords
consists of 696 non-elected members (hereditarypeers and
peeresses, archbishops, bishops of theChurch of England).
The chairman of the House of Lords is the Lord ofChancellor, the
highest judge
Its main function is:
- to examine and revise bills from the Commons
(but cannot prevent proposed legislation frombecoming law if the
Commons insists on it)
- to act as the final court of appeal
-
8/8/2019 The UK State System[1]
10/11
How does a bill become a law?
In order to become a law the bill has to be approvedby both
houses of the Parliament and be signed bythe Monarch.
-
8/8/2019 The UK State System[1]
11/11
Answer the following questions:
What chamber is more powerful?
Who can be elected to the House of Commons?
What do the House of Commons and the House ofLords look like?
Describe them, use pictures.
