The Creation Of Parliament Flashcards
(18 cards)
House of Commons
The chamber where elected members of the UK parliament sit
House of Lords
The second, unelected, chamber of the UK parliament
Palace of Westminster
Originally the royal palace attached to Westminster Hall, today it is the seat of government and comprises West Minster hall, HoC and HoL
Parliament
The British legislative body that is made up of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the monarchy
Westminster Hall
A large chamber in Westminster where the early Norman kings would meet with the Nobility
How did the creation of the HoC come about?
1275- King Edward I required money to fight Scotland. He sent out writs demanding each Shire and each town elect two representatives from the knights and burgesses to join the lords in voting to authorise the demands for taxation, as he knew the lords alone would object. The knights agreed and they too were consulted by the monarch. As they weren’t noble they were classed as ‘commoners’ and this was effectively the creation of the HoC
Acts of Parliament
Laws that have been formally passed by Parliament and given royal assent by the monarch
Codified constitution
A single, authoritative document that sets out the laws, rules and principles by which a state is governed, and which protects the rights of citizens
Sovereignty
The control of power and the ability to distribute and reclaim it in a political system
Declaration of rights
A statement of the rights of the subject which also declared that the monarch could not act without the consent of parliament
How was the declaration of rights modified in 1689?
It was placed on the statute book as the Bill of Rights. The bill was heavily influenced by philosopher John Locke who believed the government existed as the result of an agreement between the people and the monarch.
Locke believed the people were entitled to freedom from the government and that this should be protected by law
Give 3 reasons why the Bill of Rights was a major milestone in the development of the UK constitution
- It removed royal interference in elections
- It established key principles of the rights or freedoms from the government
- It formally established the principle of parliamentary sovereignty
Give 3 problems with the Bill of Rights
- The Rights were vague and could be easily reinterpreted
- As a statute law it held no higher legal authority and so could be easily repealed or replaced by future parliament
- The Monarch still held enormous powers over war, the peaceful running of kingdom and foreign policy
Key provisions and effects of The Bill of Rights
Provision: the suspension of execution of laws, without parliamentary consent, was made illegal. —> effect: only Parliament could pass or remove laws
Provision: subjects were given the right to petition the king. —> effect: people could complain to the monarchy through parliament
Provision: members of parliament must be elected in free elections. —> effect: the principle of free elections away from gov influence was established
Privy council
A group of senior political advisors who have the job of advising the monarch on the use of the royal prerogative
The Act of Settlement 1701
Whilst there being nearly 50 closer relatives to Queen Anne, George I was chosen as the closest who was not a catholic - he had never been to England nor spoke any English.
Him becoming King was AN ACT OF PARLIAMENT - not through any divine right of inheritance.
The AOS granted parliament the power to choose the monarch
What are some of the principles the Act of settlement established?
- Judges could not be removed without the consent of parliament
- Royal pardons were to be irrelevant in cases of impeachment
- The monarch could not take England into a war to defend their home country, without the consent of parliament
Did the Bill of Rights and Act of settlement mark a significant change in the power of parliament? (9)
YES
•The monarch was now of parliaments choosing, rather than ruling through divine right
•They established the principle of regular and free elections
•They restricted the monarchs ability to interfere with laws
NO
•Parliament remained only advisory in nature
•The monarch remained the dominant force in British politics
•Parliament itself only represented the wealthiest 2% of the country
