Legal Systems Statutes and legislative instruments L1-3

Parliament Acts 1911 & 1949

Concept:

Asserted the supremacy of the House of Commons

1911:

Removed the Lords’ power to veto “Money Bills” and replaced their general veto power to delay legislation for 2 years.

1949:

Further reduced this power of delay to one year. This is why the Lords are now described as a “revising chamber” rather than a blocking one.

Life Peerages Act 1958

The Change:

Allowed for the creation of “Life Peers” (titles that do not pass to children).

Significance:

This changed the makeup of the HOLs forever by allowing women to sit in the House for the first time and moving the chamber away from purely inherited power.

House of Lords act 1999

The change:

Abolished the right of almost all hereditary peers to sit and vote.

As a compromise (the “Weatherill Amendment”), 92 hereditary peers were allowed to remain until further reform.

Constitutional reform Act (CRA) 2005

The change:

A massive shift in the Separation of Powers.

Three key pillars:

• Created the UK Supreme Court, moving the highest court out of the House of Lords.

• Created the Judicial Appointment Commission (JAC) to ensure judges are appointed independently, not just by politicians.

• Reformed the role of the Lord Chancellor, who used to be a judge, a member of the Cabinet and the head of the Lords (a violation of the separation of powers)

Laws in Wales Acts 1536 & 1542

Concept:

Often called the “Acts of Union,” they fully incorporated Wales into the English legal system, abolished Welsh law, and made English the language of the courts.

Sunday Closing (Wales) Act 1881

Significance:

The first piece of legislation since the 1500s to apply specifically to Wales and not England. It signalled the beginning of recognition of Wales as a distinct legislative territory.

Government of Wales Act (GWA) 1998 & 2006

1998:

Created the National Assembly for Wales ( a body with limited power)

2006:

Divided the Assembly into a Legislature (making laws) and an executive (the Welsh Government). It gave the Assembly the power to make “measures”.

Wales Act 2014 & 2017

2017: Shifted Wales to a “Reserved Powers Model” (similar to Scotland). This means the Senedd can legislate on anything unless it is specifically “reserved” to the UK Parliament in London.

Human Rights Act (HRA) 1998

The concept:

“Brought rights homes”. Before this, you had to go to court in Strasbourg (France) to sue the UK for human right breaches.

It requires UK courts to interpret all other legislation in a way that is compatible with the European convention on Human Rights (ECHR)

Equality Act 2010

The concept:

A “codifying” statute. It took over 116 separate pieces of legislation ( like the Sex Discrimination Act and Race Relations Act) and merged them into one single Act.

It protects 9 characteristics (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex, sexual orientation).

European Union (withdrawal) Act 2018:

The concept

Handled the “legal vacuum” of Brexit.

It created “Retained EU Law”- it essentially took a snapshot” of all EU law as it existed on the day the UK left and pasted it into the UK statute book so the law didn’t suddenly disappear.