1. Legislation

2. What you need to know How an Act of Parliament is made Types of bill
Advantages and disadvantages of this type of law making

3. Acts of Parliament What is an Act of Parliament?
An Act is a Bill that has successfully passed through the necessary stages in Parliament
A great deal of Acts of Parliament are introduced by the government
Acts of Parliament overrule Judicial Precedent
For example, the Law reform Act of 1996 (year and a day rule).

4. Bills and Legislation
When the proposed Act has been drafted, it is published, and at this stage it is known as a Bill.
The Bill will only become Law if it successfully completes all the necessary stages in Parliament

5. From Bill to Act
First Reading: A formal introduction to the Bill, where the title of the Bill and it’s main aims are read out
Second Reading: The main debate on the Bill, followed by a vote; the Bill must get a majority vote to go any further
Committee Stage: A standing committee examines the Bill (between 16 – 50 MP’s) clause by clause, and amendments are made

6. From Bill to Act
Report Stage: This stage only occurs if amendments are made in the committee stage, but will go straight to…
Third Reading: The final debate and vote. The Bill is unlikely to fail at this stage
Royal Assent: A mere formality nowadays, the last Bill refused assent by a Monarch was in 1707

7. In Summary
A Bill can only become an Act if it successfully goes through the various stages of both houses of Parliament.
There are three different types of Bill :
Public/ government
Private member’s
Private

8. Criticisms of The Process
“I would wish that… the superfluous and tedious statutes were brought together, and made more plain and short, to the intent that men might better understand them”
[Edward VI, 400 years ago]

9. Advantages to the process
The lengthy process makes it possible to spot mistakes
Amendments can be made at various stages throughout the process
A more objective view is supported by the number of viewers and editors.
Contingencies can be covered.

10. Disadvantages to the process
The Bill can get confusing with the amount of editing and amendments
The standing committee is not, as it states, a standing committee. The MP’s involved have a vested interest in the Bill, making it possible for bias
The language and structure of the Bill can be very confusing

11. Criticisms of The Process
The Renton Committee (1975), said there were four main areas for complaint
The Language used in many Acts was obscure and complex
Acts were over elaborate because every contingency was planned for
Illogical structure, with sections seeming to be out of sequence making it hard to find relevant sections
Little or no clear connection between Acts, making it difficult to people to find relevant connections.