Concept

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Summary
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and the overseas territories. While Parliament is bicameral, it has three parts, consisting of the sovereign (King-in-Parliament), the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. In theory, power is officially vested in the King-in-Parliament. However, the Crown normally acts on the advice of the prime minister, and the powers of the House of Lords are limited to only delaying legislation; thus power is de facto vested in the House of Commons. The House of Commons is the elected lower chamber of Parliament, with elections to 650 single-member constituencies held at least every five years under the first-past-the-post system. By constitutional convention, all government ministers, including the prime minister, are members of the House of Commons, or less commonly the House of Lords, and are thereby accountable to the respective branches of the legislature. Most cabinet ministers are from the Commons, while junior ministers can be from either house. The House of Lords is the upper chamber of Parliament. The House of Lords includes two types of members. The most numerous are the Lords Temporal, consisting mainly of life peers appointed by the sovereign on the advice of the prime minister, plus 92 hereditary peers. The less numerous Lords Spiritual consist of 26 bishops of the Church of England. Prior to the opening of the Supreme Court in 2009, the House of Lords also performed a judicial role through the Law Lords. The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the oldest legislature in the world and is characterised by the stability of its governing institutions and its capacity to absorb change. The Westminster system shaped the political systems of the nations once ruled by the British Empire, and thus has been called the "mother of parliaments".
About this result
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.
Related courses (5)
MSE-424: Fracture of materials
This course covers elementary fracture mechanics and its application to the fracture of engineering materials.
CH-422: Catalyst design for synthesis
This course on homogeneous catalysis provide a detailed understanding of how these catalysts work at a mechanistic level and give examples of catalyst design for important reactions (hydrogenation, ol
MSE-214: Mise en oeuvre des matériaux I
Introduction aux relations mise en œuvre-structures-propriétés des polymères et céramiques, fournissant les bases nécessaires à la sélection de matériaux et procédés pour la fabrication de composants
Show more
Related lectures (33)
Composite Materials: Processing and Applications
Covers the introduction to composite materials, including components, mechanics, and applications.
Homogeneous Catalysis Basics
Introduces the basics of homogeneous catalysis, focusing on reaction mechanisms and catalyst design.
Crack Tip Plasticity in Materials
Explores crack tip plasticity in materials, emphasizing the importance of the plastic zone in crack resistance.
Show more
Related concepts (25)
House of Commons of the United Kingdom
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 members known as members of Parliament (MPs). MPs are elected to represent constituencies by the first-past-the-post system and hold their seats until Parliament is dissolved. The House of Commons of England began to evolve in the 13th and 14th centuries.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland, and most of the smaller islands within the British Isles.
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest institutions in the world, its origins lie in the early 11th century and the emergence of bicameralism in the 13th century. In contrast to the House of Commons, membership of the Lords is not generally acquired by election. Most members are appointed for life, on either a political or non-political basis.
Show more