How Laws

Are Made
Learning outcomes
Students must (all):
● Know that laws are made in Parliament and that draft laws
are called bills.
● That bills pass through many stages of consultation and
discussion before becoming a law and that this is a key part
of the democratic law-making process.

Should (most):
● Know the main stages of a bill passing through Parliament.
● Evaluate critically different ideas and viewpoints including
those with which they do not necessarily agree.
 Types of
Bills
Private Bills Public Bills
Intended to affect one Intended to affect the
particular area or public as a whole
organisation
Private
Government
Personal Bills Members’
Bills
Bills
Affect one or two Steered through Sponsored by an
people. Always Parliament by a minister individual MP or a
begin in the from the appropriate Peer
Lords government department
Consultation The Government makes a draft of the Bill and asks senior officials to make
Stage comments.

First Reading The Government tells everyone about the Bill by reading out its title in the
House of Commons or House of Lords to let everyone know about it.

Second This is the main debating stage where all MPs or Lords can discuss the Bill,
Reading ask questions and vote on it. It could be voted out at this stage.

Committee A smaller group of MPs or many Lords look at the Bill in detail. They may
Stage make changes, called ‘amendments’, based on their discussions.

Report Stage Amendments made during the Committee Stage are reported to everyone in
either House. MPs or Lords may vote on these amendments.

Overall consideration of the Bill in either House and final votes to decide
Third Reading
whether it goes any further.

The Bill goes to the other House who follow similar stages. They can suggest
amendments to the Bill and then send it back, that House may send it back
Bill goes to
again until an agreement can be reached. If no agreement can be reached,
other House the House of Commons can vote to pass the law without agreement from the
House of Lords.

Royal Assent The Monarch signs-off the Bill as a new law or ‘Act of Parliament’.
Consultation Stage House of Lords
Consultation First Reading
Drafting Second Reading
BIL

Pre-legislative Scrutiny Committee Stage

L

BIL
Report Stage

L
Third Reading
House of Commons
BILL
First Reading
Second Reading
Royal Assent
BIL

Committee Stage
Report Stage ACT OF
L

Third Reading PARLIAMENT

Let’s watch a video on interesting UK Laws
https://list25.com/25-weird-british-laws-you-wont-believe-actually-exist/
 Answer the following questions

1. How many laws were there?

2. What law made the least sense to you and

why?

3. What do you think of the law stopping women

from eating chocolate in public?

4. What laws sound like laws from the past?

On your own write 5 bills

1. A law that is relevant to modern times.

2. A silly law.
3. A law to help the environment.

Pass your book to your friend they will choose

the bill that becomes law.
https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/laws/
bills/
https://list25.com/25-weird-british-laws-you-wont-believe-actually-exist/
In groups of 4

Make up 2 bills- 1 serious and 1 silly.

Present your bills to the class
Write them on the board
After all the groups have finished, students will
vote for the bills. The bill with the most votes will
become law.