Curs 10

THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT: THE HOUSE OF LORDS

Unitatea de învăţare:
1. The British Parliament
2. The House of Lords

Bibliografie:
1. Badea, Simina, Legal English - A Practical Approach, Editura Universitaria, Craiova, 2014, p. 49-50, 52-55.
2. Lister, R.; K. Veth, Dicţionar juridic român-englez, englez-român, Traducere: Roxana Dinulescu, Editura Niculescu, Bucureşti, 2010.
3. *** Oxford Dictionary of Law, 6th edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2006.

Obiectivele modulului
Dupǎ studiul acestei unitǎţi de învǎţare veţi reuşi sǎ:
 înţelegeţi cum funcţionează Parlamentul britanic (Camera Lorzilor)
 vă familiarizaţi cu termenii juridici aferenţi temei prin activităţi aplicative
 vă dezvoltaţi abilităţile de comunicare în limba engleză pe tema dată

A Bicameral System
The British Parliament is a bicameral legislature that performs the dual function of participating in the legislative process and scrutinizing
the activities of the administration. It is an essential part of UK politics, consisting of the sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of
Commons.

The two-House system

The business of Parliament takes place in two Houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Their work is similar: making laws
(legislation), checking the work of the government (scrutiny), and debating current issues. The House of Commons is also responsible for
granting money to the government through approving Bills that raise taxes. Generally, the decisions made in one House have to be approved by
the other. In this way the two-chamber system acts as a check and balance for both Houses.
To stand as a candidate in a UK Parliamentary General Election one needs to be at least 18 years old and:
• a British citizen
• a citizen of the Republic of Ireland
• a citizen of a commonwealth country who does not require leave to enter or remain in the UK, or has indefinite leave to remain in the UK
Certain groups of people are not allowed to stand, these include:
• members of the police forces
• members of the armed forces
• civil servants and judges
• people who are subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order in England or Wales or a debt relief restrictions order
• people who have been adjudged bankrupt in Northern Ireland
• people who have had their estate sequestrated in Scotland
• aliens
• convicted prisoners and people guilty of corrupt or illegal practices

The House of Lords

The House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK Parliament. Its work is complementary to the work of the House of Commons. It thus
makes laws, holds government to account and investigates policy issues. Its membership is mostly appointed and includes experts in many
fields.
There are things that Lords don’t do: represent constituencies, get involved in taxation, draw a salary (except for some office holders). The
Lords currently has around 830 Members, belonging to three categories: life Peers, bishops and elected hereditary Peers. Unlike MPs, the public
do not elect the Lords. The majority are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister or of the House of Lords
Appointments Commission.
(1) Life Peers
This name derives from the fact that these Lords’ titles are not passed on to their children, they are appointed for their lifetime only. The
Queen formally appoints life Peers on the advice and recommendation of the Prime Minister.
(2) Archbishops and bishops
A limited number of 26 Church of England archbishops and bishops sit in the House, passing their membership on to the next most senior
bishop when they retire. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York traditionally get life peerages on retirement.
(3) Elected hereditary Peers
The right of hereditary Peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords was ended in 1999 by the House of Lords Act but 92 Members were
elected internally to remain until the next stage of the Lords reform process.
Two events have changed the way Members of the House of Lords are appointed: the 1999 House of Lords Act, which ended hereditary
Peers’ right to pass membership down through family, and the introduction of the House of Lords Appointments Commission. There are now a
number of routes to becoming a Member of the House of Lords.
The House of Lords Appointments Commission is an independent, public body. Set up in May 2000, it recommends individuals for
appointment as non-party-political life peers and vets nominations for life peers to ensure the highest standards of propriety.

UK Supreme Court
The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 removed the judicial function of the House of Lords from Parliament and set up a new, independent
supreme court (from October 2009).
 The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom assumes jurisdiction on points of law for all civil law cases in the UK and all criminal cases in
England and Wales and Northern Ireland.

Concluzii:
The British Parliament is a bicameral legislature that performs the dual function of participating in the legislative process and scrutinizing
the activities of the administration. It consists of the sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
The work of the House of Lords is complementary to the work of the House of Commons. It makes laws, holds government to account and
investigates policy issues. Its members are mostly appointed.
The Lords currently has around 830 Members, belonging to three categories: life Peers, bishops and elected hereditary Peers.

Test de autoevaluare:
1. What does the British Parliament consist of? - 2 puncte
2. Which is the role of the two chambers? - 2 puncte
3. Who can stand as a candidate in a UK Parliamentary General Election? - 2 puncte
4. The House of Lords - organization and role. - 2 puncte
5. Which is the final court of appeal in the United Kingdom? - 2 puncte

Traduceri:
1. Art. 36 (1) Cetăţenii au drept de vot de la vârsta de 18 ani, împliniţi până în ziua alegerilor inclusiv.
Răspuns: Every citizen having turned eighteen up to or on the election day shall have the right to vote.

2. Art. 36
(2) Nu au drept de vot debilii sau alienaţii mintal, puşi sub interdicţie, şi nici persoanele condamnate, prin hotărâre judecătorească
definitivă, la pierderea drepturilor electorale.
Art. 38 În condiţiile aderării României la Uniunea Europeană, cetăţenii români au dreptul de a alege şi de a fi aleşi în Parlamentul
European.
Art. 76
(1) Legile organice şi hotărârile privind regulamentele Camerelor se adoptă cu votul majorităţii membrilor fiecărei Camere.
(2) Legile ordinare şi hotărârile se adoptă cu votul majorităţii membrilor prezenţi din fiecare Cameră.
(3) La cererea Guvernului sau din proprie iniţiativă, Parlamentul poate adopta proiecte de legi sau propuneri legislative cu procedură de
urgenţă, stabilită potrivit regulamentului fiecărei Camere.

Grile:
1. The British Parliament consists of:
a. the House of Lords and the sovereign
b. the House of Commons and the sovereign
c. the House of Lords, the House of Commons and the sovereign

2. The main roles of Parliament are:

a. examining and challenging the work of the government, debating and passing all laws, enabling the government to raise taxes
b. checking the work of the government, making laws
c. passing laws and granting money to the government

3. The House of Lords:

a. represents constituencies
b. makes decisions on financial Bills
c. provides a forum of independent expertise

4. Life peers:
a. can pass on their titles to their children
b. cannot pass on their titles to their children
c. are elected

5. ... is the highest court of appeal for civil law cases in the UK and all criminal cases in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.
a. the House of Lords
b. the House of Commons
c. the Supreme Court