Lord Chancellor

Lord Chancellor presides over the meetings of House of Lords. He is very

important member and is head of judicial establishment. He supervises working of
courts and appoints judges of high courts. He is also the member of judicial
committee of the Privy Council.

 Position of the Lord Chancellor:

1. While presiding over the sessions of the House, the Lord Chancellor is
not authorized to give ruling on point of order. The Lords decide such
matters by themselves.
2. As the presiding officer of the House of Lords, he exercises less authority
than the Speaker of the House of Commons. The questions regarding
procedure are not decided by Lords Chancellor, but by the House of
Lords themselves.
3. If there is dispute as to who should address the House, it is not the Lord
Chancellor who decides, but the House itself.
4. It is not the function of the Lord Chancellor to maintain order that is done
by the members themselves.
5. When the members of the House of Lords speak, they do not address the
Lord Chancellor, but the House. They begin with the words “My Lords”.
6. He votes according to the party to which he is belongs. He has no casting
vote.

 Powers and Functions of Lord Chancellor

1. Executive functions:
Lord Chancellor is a member of the Cabinet and in this capacity as a
member of Cabinet he takes part in executive affairs.

2. Legislative functions:
i. The Lord Chancellor is the Chairmen of the House of Lords and as
a chairmen he conducts the proceedings of House of Lords.
ii. Government measures are entrusted to him for passage in the
House of Lords.
iii. He is the custodian of Great Seal of the Realm.
iv. He is the principle adviser of the Crown.
v. In the absence of Monarch he reads the speech of the King at the
opening of the parliamentary sessions
3. Judicial function:
i. The Lord Chancellor is the Chairmen of the Judicial Committee of
the House of Lords and also a member of the Judicial Committee
of the Privy Council.
ii. Being the Head of British Judiciary he is responsible for the
appointment of High Courts Judges.
iii. The Lord Chancellor is the President of the House of Lords sitting
as the final Court of Appeal, and of the Chancery Division of High
Court.