Who rules //
The Process
In a democracy, laws have to go through set stages before they get passed. The government must make sure that everyone who wants to has a chance to comment on what they think of the idea for the new law. So, what actually happens?
- A Green Paper sets out the government's basic idea for a law. The government asks for feedback and responses are collected.
- A White Paper sets out a more detailed proposal for the new law, taking responses into account.
- The bill is the final proposal before the law is introduced to Parliament.
- First reading – the bill is formally read out in the House of Commons.
- Second reading – the bill is read again, debated and then voted on. If not enough MPs vote in favour, it's game over for the bill.
- Committee stage – once approved, the bill goes on for further work to a group of around 20 MPs. They go through it carefully and make any needed changes.
- Report stage – a report is written with all the changes that have been made. These are then discussed in the House of Commons. They can be agreed or changed again!
- House of Lords – the bill has to go through the same stages as in the House of Commons with a first reading and so on. If the House of Lords rejects it, the whole process stops.
- Third reading – the bill, complete with all the changes, goes back to the House of Commons. There's another debate and a vote on whether the law should go ahead or not. If it's a yes, it becomes an Act of Parliament and gets passed to the Queen.
- Royal assent – the Queen has to sign the bill for it to become a formal law. Without her signature this can't happen. Really, this is just part of the formalities and traditions of making laws. The Queen never refuses to sign a bill as it's been through the democratic stages. Once this is done the bill becomes a law.
This is not a straightforward process. It can sometimes go on for years when there are disagreements and opposition to the proposed law.
Reality Bytes: Smoking Bans
Ireland banned smoking in public places (pubs and restaurants for example) in March 2004. Scotland plans to do the same from 2006. Many people believe that the UK government should do the same in England and Wales. One pub company has decided to ban smoking on its premises anyway, as it believes that it is good for business. It hopes to draw in customers who may otherwise have stayed away due to the smoky environment.
The UK government has said that it plans to make smoking in public places illegal, except in places where food is not prepared, but has not yet put this into force. It hopes that this move will improve the nation's health, as there is very strong evidence that breathing in cigarette smoke can cause illness and disease amongst non-smokers.
However, many smokers feel that this is unfair as they will be denied the right to choose whether they wish to smoke and will be unable to relax and socialise outside of their own homes. Some non-smokers feel that smokers deny them the right to live a healthy life. What do you think should happen?
Interesting Facts
- Until 1689, the monarch could make laws without Parliament's consent. This changed with the introduction of the Bill of Rights. This states that laws can only be made or changed by the agreement of Parliament.
- The televising of Parliament allowed the public to see law-making in action for the very first time in 1985. Originally only the House of Lords was shown, but in 1989 activity in the House of Commons also became televised.
- The public can check the progress of Bills on the Parliament website.
Big Question
- Do you think the process of making law is too long or short?
