House of Lords

Whereas Bishops … ought not to be intangled with secular jurisdiction the Office of the Ministerie being of such great importance that it will take up the whole man And for that it is found by long experience that theire intermedling with … [Read more...] about What is the role of the Lords Spiritual? An interview with the Bishop of Manchester

The question of whether to legalise assisted dying has been a recurring legal issue in the UK for decades. From the House of Lords case of R. (Pretty) v DPP in 2001 where Dianne Pretty unsuccessfully claimed that s.2 of the Suicide Act … [Read more...] about The Farcical Failure of the Assisted Dying Bill

Supporters of assisted dying are resigning themselves to defeat amid concerns that the landmark legislation passed by the Commons will almost definitely run out of time in the Lords. Alongside other developments, this has sparked renewed hostility … [Read more...] about Is the House of Lords Overplaying its Hand?

Introduction:  Abolishing the House of Lords sounds like a daring and profoundly modern proposition, but it has longstanding historical precedent. The House of Lords was actually abolished once before – in 1649.  On 19 March 1649 it … [Read more...] about A Very Short History of The House of Lords

Earlier this year the House of Lords Constitution Committee, which I Chair, embarked on an inquiry into relations between the UK Government and the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our previous work on this issue had identified a … [Read more...] about Baroness Drake on “The Governance of the Union”: The Latest Report From the House of Lords Constitution Committee

In the dark recesses of the origins of constitutional law in the United Kingdom is the principle that the Monarch is the fount of all justice in the realm. Less often remarked upon, at least in constitutional circles, is the link of the … [Read more...] about Time for Change? Keeping Clerics in the House of Lords

In the King’s Speech the new Labour government introduced 40 bills that will form the core of Westminster’s legislative business for the next year. In the House of Commons, the government possesses a 174-seat majority, all but guaranteeing the … [Read more...] about What is the Salisbury-Addison Convention?

In its response to the Public Administration Select Committee’s 2010 report, Goats and Tsars: Ministerial and other appointments from outside Parliament, the UK Government (led at the time by Prime Minister David Cameron) agreed with the … [Read more...] about Jobs for the boys: The exceptional Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton

The House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) hasn’t often featured in the news in its 23-year history. To be sure, there have been on-going controversies over appointments to the Lords, but recently there have been a series of controversies in … [Read more...] about House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) – Chronicle of a Death Foretold?

This summer the Prime Minister has received a good deal of criticism for his many holidays. In a recent interview with the BBC, Keir Starmer was forced to defend his decision to take a short holiday with his family. The Labour Party … [Read more...] about The summer recess