The House of Lords英国上议院简介

The House of Lords

The House of Lords is made up largely of life peers with experience in wide-ranging fields, including medicine,education, science, the armed services, academia.the arts, business, industry, the charity sector and public life. They meet and discuss legislation or issues that concern them and to question the government.

This House of Lords is one of the most impressive rooms in the House of Parliament. Unlike the Commons which was rebuilt after the WWⅡ. The House of Lords is a working space and it is integral to the parliament’s work. As a forum of independent expertise member of the Lords play a central role in making laws. Scrutinizing, revising and initiating legislation as well as holding a government where it comes. The Lords’ speaker sits there on the woolsack. The Lords’ speaker’s role is to offer advice on procedure and to act as an ambassador for the House. The House of Lords is a self-regulating house.The Lords’ speaker preside over debates but it’s not decide who speaks. The woolsack is a sort of having been introduced in the 16th century to reflect the economic importance of the world trade to England. Over the years, its, stuffing changing to horse hair. But in 1938, It was stuffed with wool from England, Wales, Scotland ,Northern Ireland and countries of the Commonwealth ,given by the International Wool Secretariat.And the development of the Lords is also distant.

In 1256 years, Simom de Montfort summoned two knights from each shire and two citizens from each of the more important towns to the Great Council,thus it got the name Parliament. Then during the Hundred Years’ War ,Parliament was formally divided into two parts,Lords and Commons. In 17th century, Parliament was ruled by the king.After the Glorious Revolution,1689s,the Bill of Rights came out,this was a bill which ended the theories of hereditary right to the throne and since then every English monarch rules by permission of Parliament, so after 1688s,the Glorious Revolution marked the shift in power from monarch to parliament.

1832s:the year of the first Reform Bill passed,the House of Lords has become less important than the House of Commons.

Also the member of the Lords are a significant part , It has over 1000 non-elected members who are Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal.

Lords Spiritual which includes the 2 archbishops of the Church of England , Canterbury and York, and 42 diocesan bishops. Their eligibility to sit ends on retirement. And Lords Temporal, It includes hereditary peers and life peers.

Hereditary Peers ,in order of rank ,they are Duke, Marquis,Earl, Viscount,Baron. However, since 1963 a hereditary peer can give up his noble title . But this does not prevent the peer's heir from inheriting his title.then talk about the Life Peers. The life peers is the person who is given a title during his or her lifetime , in honor of his or her professional