7. Parliament and the Legislative Process

  • The UK Parliament is bicameral, with two chambers namely the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
  • The House of Lords, which is composed of life peers, senior bishops, and some hereditary peers, protects the constitution, and initiates and revises legislation.
  • The House of Commons, which is composed of constituency representatives organized on party lines under the whip system, is the principal legislative chamber and plays a significant role in scrutinizing the executive.
  • Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords are representative chambers but only the House of Commons is composed of elected representatives.
  • Members of the House of Commons are elected according to the ‘first past the post’ electoral system.
  • An Act of Parliament is a bill which has, at common law, received the separate and simultaneous assents of the House of Commons and the House of Lords as well as the Royal Assent.
  • Under the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 a bill may become an Act of Parliament by receiving the assent of the House of Commons and the Royal Assent.
  • Public bills, which originate largely within government departments, pass between the House of Commons and the House of Lords and undergo scrutiny in committees set up by each House.
Delegated Legislation
  • Delegated legislation is law made by the executive when the Parliament has given legislative powers to the executive by statute.
  • An advantage of this is that parliamentary time may be allocated more effectively if the enabling statute concentrates on the general principles and provisions.
  • However, it undermines the separation of powers by giving too much legislative power to the executive especially where the rights and obligations of the general public are concerned.


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