The_British_Parliament

The British Parliament

By：罗先慧 张璇 王金

章节提要

Parliamentary democracy(民主议会) and constitutional monarchy（君主立宪） The Constitution(宪法) Parliament(议会) The Prime Minister(首相) The Cabinet(内阁) Political Party(政党)

※Britain and Israel are the only two countries without written constitution.

British constitutional principles statute laws

common laws （成文法） (习惯法)

conventions （衡平法）

Common laws established through common practice in the courts.

Statute laws passed by Parliament. Conventions do not exist legally, but regarded as vital to the workings of government.

议会的作用

1. To pass laws 2. to provide the means by taxation(税收) 3. to scrutinize（细查） government work, and to debate current issues

议会构成

Parliament

Only can say yes

the monarch（君主）

House of Lords （上议院）

House of Commons （下议院）

The real center of British political life

The organization of UK government

The Parliament People Responsibility on Law-Making consent to pass laws review laws

The Monarch

Queen ( )

Lords Spiritual Lords ( )

House of Lord ( )

Temporal

MpS Commons House of ( )

make laws ( )

上议院组成

The House of Lords

The Lords

Spiritual

26人

a reward for public service

The Lords Temporal

Bishops of Archbishops the Church 2人

24人

Life peers

Hereditary peers

（世袭贵族）

上议院的特征

The peers speak and vote as inpiduals. not as representatives of the greater interests of the country. They are not elected and they can’t prevent proposed legislation from becoming law if the commons insists on it.

The peers do not receive salaries and many do not attend Parliament at all.

上议院的作用

Some bills introduced in the House of Lords which relieving(缓解) the Commons some of its work. as the supreme court of justice and the highest court of appeal for both criminal and civil cases from the lower courts

The House of Commons (下议院)

consisting of about 650members Members of Parliament (MPs)

下议院特征

The MPs are elected democratically. The majority of MPs represent English constituencies（选举区） and only a few of them represent Scotland, Welsh and Northern Ireland. MPs are only allowed to sit for the lifetime （终身） of the Parliament. MPs receive a salary.

下议院的作用

to make laws

to examine government policy and administrations

to supervise finance

行政机构：

Political Parties: Labour,the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats

The Prime Minister:the leader of the political party which wins the most seats in a general election. The Cabinet:consist of around 20 MPs in the governing party who are chosen by the Prime Minister.

内阁的作用

Policy-making:To make final decisions on the policy presented to the parliament To coordinate government departments a