2 Law-making and the UK Parliament

The UK Parliament is based at the Palace of Westminster in London. It consists of two debating chambers, known as Houses: the House of Commons, which is elected at general elections, and the House of Lords, which is an unelected chamber.

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Photographs of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

There is a step-by-step procedure for considering draft laws that all legislation must go through. In summary, draft legislation begins life as a bill that must be debated and approved by both Houses of Parliament. It must then receive Royal Assent.

An Act may come into force – that is, become law – on the day it receives Royal Assent, on a specific future date or in stages. (You will explore how to find out whether an Act is in force later in this session.) The detail of how legislation becomes law is beyond the scope of this course, but Figure 1 gives you an overview. If you wish to learn more, please visit the resources section at the end of the session.

Figure 1 How an Act of Parliament is created.

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Whether a bill starts in the House of Commons or the House of Lords, it undergoes a first reading, second reading, committee stage, report stage, third reading and consideration of amendments by both Houses before being given Royal Assent.

Figure 1 How an Act of Parliament is created.

Acts of the UK Parliament are also commonly referred to as statutes, or legislation. This can be confusing, especially to anyone not familiar with the law and the interchangeability of the terms used. Bear this in mind when explaining the law to others – It is important to take a consistent approach.