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  • Draft House of Commons Fixed Terms Bill

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    Richard Edwards
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    This document is a bill that proposes fixing the term of the House of Commons to 5 years. It stipulates that a general election must be held every 5 years, and the Prime Minister cannot dissolve Parliament within that time period unless losing a vote of no confidence. In times of war or insurrection, Parliament can vote to continue the House of Commons for up to an additional 12 months. It also defines terms like Leader of the Opposition and requires the bill to bind the Crown once passed into law.

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    An example of how to provide for fixed terms for the United Kingdom House of Commons.

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    This document is a bill that proposes fixing the term of the House of Commons to 5 years. It stipulates that a general election must be held every 5 years, and the Prime Minister cannot dissolve Parliament within that time period unless losing a vote of no confidence. In times of war or insurrection, Parliament can vote to continue the House of Commons for up to an additional 12 months. It also defines terms like Leader of the Opposition and requires the bill to bind the Crown once passed into law.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    9 views1 page

    Draft House of Commons Fixed Terms Bill

    Uploaded by

    Richard Edwards
    This document is a bill that proposes fixing the term of the House of Commons to 5 years. It stipulates that a general election must be held every 5 years, and the Prime Minister cannot dissolve Parliament within that time period unless losing a vote of no confidence. In times of war or insurrection, Parliament can vote to continue the House of Commons for up to an additional 12 months. It also defines terms like Leader of the Opposition and requires the bill to bind the Crown once passed into law.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 1

    A

    BILL
    to fix the term of the House of Commons for five years, and to make provision for related
    matters;
    AD. 2010.
    Be it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of
    the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and
    by the authority of the same, as follows;

    1 Term of House of Commons Fixed.


    (1) No House of Commons shall continue for longer than five years from the date fixed for
    the return of the writs at a general election of its members.
    (2) Her Majesty shall not dissolve the House of Commons within five years after the first
    meeting of the House after a general election for its members unless the House has passed a
    resolution indicating that the Her Majesty’s Government does not enjoy the confidence of the
    House and Her Majesty is satisfied that it is not possible to appoint a new Prime Minister
    enjoying the confidence of the House.
    (3) In time of real or apprehended war, invasion or serious armed insurrection, a House of
    Commons may be continued by Parliament beyond five years for a period of not more than
    twelve months at a time if such a continuation is not opposed by the votes of more than one-
    third of the members of the House of Commons.
    2 Confidence Resolutions.
    (1) A resolution within the terms of section 1(2) (‘a no-confidence motion’) above shall only
    be lawfully where it is —
    (a) proposed by the Leader of Opposition, and
    (b) supported by members of the House of Commons in opposition to Her Majesty’s
    Government.
    (2) Any question as to whether or not a member of the House of Commons is in opposition to
    Her Majesty’s Government shall be decided by the Speaker, whose judgment thereon shall be
    final and conclusive.
    3 Act to Bind Crown.
    This Act binds the Crown.
    4 Interpretation.
    (1) In this Act—
    • “Leader of the Opposition” means, in relation to either House of Parliament,
    that Member of that House who is for the time being the Leader in that House of the
    party in opposition to Her Majesty’s Government having the greatest numerical
    strength in the House of Commons;
    “Prime Minister” means the Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury;
    “Speaker” means Speaker of the House of Commons.
    5 Short Title and Commencement.
    (1) This Act may be cited as the House of Commons (Fixed Term) Act 2010.
    (2) This Act shall come into force twenty days after the date on which it received the Royal
    Assent.

    Richard Edwards. Bristol Law School. UWE, Bristol.

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