House of Lords

House of Lords Upper House of the British Parliament. In its legislative capacity, the Lords is completely subordinate to the House of Commons. The Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949 checked virtually all its power, except to delay passage of a bill for one year. Members of the House of Lords include the Lords Spiritual (26 archbishops and bishops), Lords Temporal (c.1000 hereditary and life peers) and the Lords of Appeal (Law Lords). The Law Lords form Britain's highest court of appeal. In 1999, the number of hereditary peers was reduced to 92 as a first step in the major reform of the House.

House of Lords (UK) The upper chamber of the British PARLIAMENT. It derived from the medieval kings' Great Council. In the 13th and 14th centuries, as the councils gave way to parliaments, the Lords evolved into a separate body which, together with the HOUSE OF COMMONS, presented bills to the crown for enactment as statutes. The immense individual importance of many peers did not prevent them gradually losing to the Commons the right to levy taxes on the king's behalf. The House of Lords was abolished in 1649 and revived in 1660. It was put on what is still its constitutional basis vis-à-vis the crown and the House of Commons by the GLORIOUS REVOLUTION (1688–89). Following the 1832 REFORM ACT, its influence gradually declined as that of the House of Commons increased. The Parliament Act of 1911 reduced the Lords' powers to a “suspensory veto” of two years (further reduced to one year in 1949). By it bills can be delayed, but if passed again by the Commons, become law. The House of Lords has no power to revise or delay money bills. It still performs several useful parliamentary roles. These include the revision of bills from the Commons, the initiation of non-controversial legislation, scrutiny of the executive, and enquiry by select committee. Debate in the Lords is less raucously partisan and sometimes better informed than in the Commons. The House of Lords is the highest court of appeal in the UK legal system, but only the Law Lords take part when it acts in this capacity.

Members of the House of Lords include the Lords Spiritual (26 archbishops and bishops in order of seniority), the Lords Temporal (approximately 1000 hereditary and life peers), and the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (Law Lords), the most senior members of the judiciary. Non-hereditary peers have been created since the Life Peerage Act of 1958; they tend to be more active members of the Lords than many hereditary peers. In 1999 new legislation led to the removal of voting powers from all but 92 hereditary peers.