Ehsan Kabir Solicitor : The House of Lords and functions

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The House of Lords and functions

• Ehsan Kabir Solicitor

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Separation of powers

• Legislature supreme authority is Parliament
• Executive the Government, local authorities and
  public corporations
• Judiciary the court system (hierarchy of courts)

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The Monarchy

• The Queen is head of State and an important
  symbol of national unity
• Head of the executive
• An integral part of the legislature
• Commander-in-chief of the armed forces
• The supreme governor of the Church of England

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The Queens role in government

• Britain is governed by Her Majestys Government
  in the name of the Queen
• The Queens role summoning, proroguing
  (discontinuing until the next session without
  dissolution) and dissolving Parliament giving
  Royal Assent to Bills passed by Parliament
• Appointment of important office holders

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International affairs

• As head of State, the Queen has the power to
  declare war and make peace, to recognise foreign
  states and governments, to conclude treaties

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The Legislature - Parliament

• The Queen formal powers
• The House of Commons the supreme legislative
  body
• The House of Lords

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The functions

• To pass laws
• To provide, by voting for taxation, the means of
  carrying on the work of government
• To scrutinise government policy and
  administration
• To debate major issues of the day

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The House of Lords

• 92 elected hereditary peers and peeresses
• Life peers
• The Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of
  England

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The House of Commons

• An elected body
• 650 MPs directly elected by voters
• General elections and by-elections
• Annual salary and travel allowances
• The chief officer is the Speaker elected by the
  Members

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The meeting of Parliament

• A maximum duration of five years
• Dissolved by the Queen
• The life of a parliament is divided into sessions
• Each session lasts for one year (beginning and
  ending in October or November) 160 sitting
  days
• Opens with the Queens speech, ends by prorogation

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The Government

• The Government consists of the ministers
  appointed by the Crown on the recommendation of
  the Prime Minister

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The Cabinet

• The Cabinet consists of a small group of the most
  important ministers selected by the Prime
  Minister
• Today the number is 23
• The Cabinet determines, controls and integrates
  the policies of the government for submission to
  Parliament

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The Prime Minister

• The Prime Minister is the head of the government
  and presides over meetings of the Cabinet
• He consults and advises the Monarch on government
  business, supervises and co-ordinates the work of
  various ministries and departments

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Thank you for your attention!