Parliament is made up of three essential elements namely: the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Monarchy. The main working of Parliament takes place in the first two Houses. Generally the decisions made by one House is to be approved by the other. The Monarch also decides and appoints the Prime Minister. The prime minister then forms a government from members of the Houses of Parliament. This must be someone who could instruct a majority of people in a confidence voting in the House of Commons.
The main functions of the UK Parliament is to: Check and challenge the work of the Government (i.e.,scrutiny), Make and change laws (i.e.,legislation), Debate the important issues of the day (i.e.,debating) ,and Check and approve Government spending (i.e.,budget/taxes).
Legislative functions-Meetings of Parliament are held in the Westminster Palace.Laws can be modified by Acts of the UK Parliament. While Acts can be applied to the whole of the United Kingdom region including Scotland, due to the reason for continuing separation of Scots law, many Acts are not applied to Scotland.
Laws, in draft form, are known as bills which can be introduced by any member of any House. “Government Bill” is a bill that is introduced by a Minister; “Private Member’s Bill is one another bill introduced by another member.”There are 3 methods for the MPs to introduce a Private Member’s Bill. The Ten Minute Rule is another method which is provided where MPs are granted ten minutes to figure out the case for a new part of legislation. The 3 method is Standing Order 57, which allows the bill to be introduced without a debate if a notice on a daily basis is given to the Table Office. Each Bill goes through several stages in each House. The first stage, called the first reading, is a type of formality. In the second reading, the general principles of the bills are discussed, and the House has the right to vote to reject the bill, by not passing the motion “That the Bill be now read a second time.” Defeats of Government Bills in the House of Commons are extremely rare.
In the House of Lords, the Committee of the Whole House is used only for undisputed bills. In the House of Commons, the bill is usually executed to a Public Bill Committee, consisting of around 16 and 50 members, but the Committee of the Whole House is used for essential legislation. The Speaker, who is impartial for making decisions between the parties, by convention selects modification for debate which represents the main divisions of opinion within the House.
Judicial functions-Before the formation of the Supreme Court of the UK ,Parliament was the highest court in the land of performing most of the functions. The administration of Parliament arose from the ancient custom of the Houses to rectify unfair means and to do justice. The House of Commons put an end to considering petitions to rectify the judgements of lower courts in 1399, productively leaving the House of Lords as the court of last centre. In modern times, the whole house not only performs the judicial functions of the House of Lords, the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary and by Lords of Appeal also performs the judicial functions.However, under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, these judicial and official functions were transferred to the newly created Supreme Court. The Lords of Appeal in Ordinary became the first Justices of the Supreme Court. Peers who hold high official and judicial office were no longer allowed to vote or speak in the Lords until they retired as justices.
In the late 19th century, Acts were made which allowed the appointments to Scottish Lords of Appeal in Ordinary and ended the custom of appealing in Scottish criminal matters to the House of Lords, and the High Court of Justiciary became the highest criminal court of Scotland. Some Other judicial functions have historically been performed by the House of Lords.When the House of Commons gives a challenge to an individual, the trial takes place in the House of Lords.
