2.7 (iii) Royal Commissions

Royal Commissions occasionally report to Parliament with recommendations for legislation which may be taken up as part of the Government's legislative programme. Royal Commissions are advisory committees established by the Government – though formally appointed by the Crown, hence the ‘Royal’ – to investigate any subject the Government sees fit to refer to one. They are often used for non-party political issues, or for issues that a Government wishes to be seen as addressing in a
Author(s): No creator set

(ii) National emergency, crisis or new development

Legislation may be passed because of some national emergency or crisis which emerges during the Government's period in office. For example, the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 was introduced to respond to the new situation arising from the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on 11 September 2001. The aim of the 2001 Act was to cut off terrorist funding, ensure that Government departments and agencies have the power to collect and share information required for countering
Author(s): No creator set

2.3 The House of Lords

Originally the members of the House of Lords comprised those who had inherited a title (known as hereditary peers), senior judges who sat as Law Lords, and the most senior bishops in the country. During the twentieth century the awarding of a title for life (known as a life peerage) became more common. The Prime Minister nominated people who should receive a title for their lifetime only. In this way, people who had served the country and were thought to be suitable members of t
Author(s): No creator set

10 Subordinate legislation

The time available to committees and the Scottish Parliament is limited. The Parliament sits on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Committees will normally meet on a Tuesday or Wednesday (occasionally Monday). This means that it may not be possible to hear all detailed aspects of a particular area of legislation quickly. A system, similar to the one used in the UK Parliament, has therefore been developed to allow for the creation of subordinate legislation.

An Act of Parliament is refe
Author(s): No creator set

9 Where do the ideas for an Act of Parliament come from?

Ideas for an Act of Parliament can come from many sources. You have explored the different types of Bills that exist, and been introduced to the idea that laws need to respond to social and political change. The list that follows is not exhaustive, but is intended to provide an illustration of the range of bodies interested in law and changes in the law.

Political party manifestos

Party manifestos and pre-election promises are influenced by what politicians believe the publ
Author(s): No creator set

6.5 Bills and the Scottish Parliament

Bills in the Scottish Parliament are very similar, in terms of layout, structure and the conventions of legislative drafting, to Bills of the UK Parliament. This is primarily because the Acts of the Scottish Parliament (ASPs) to which they are intended to give rise form part of the UK ‘statute book’ alongside existing statute law.

The stages of a Bill through the Scottish Parliament will depend on a number of factors, as not all Bills follow the same process. The difference bet
Author(s): No creator set

6.4 How is law made?

The Scotland Act 1998 provided minimum requirements for the process which was to be followed by the Parliament in creating law by considering and passing Bills. Section 36(1) of the Scotland Act 1998 required there to be at least three distinct stages to which Bills are subject, including a stage when members can debate and vote on the general principles of the Bill, a stage when they can consider and vote on its details, and a final stage when the Bill can be passed or rejected.

Advanced search | Browse Resources