House of Lords

:This article is about the British House of Lords. For the historical Irish body, see Irish House of Lords.

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The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Parliament also includes the Sovereign and the lower house, the House of Commons. The House of Lords has 731 members, eight of whom are currently on a leave of absence.

Related Topics:
Upper house - Parliament of the United Kingdom - Sovereign - Lower house - House of Commons

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The House of Lords is an unelected body, consisting of two archbishops and 24 bishops of the established Church of England ("Lords Spiritual") and 706 members of the Peerage ("Lords Temporal"). Lords Spiritual serve as long as they continue to occupy their ecclesiastical positions, whereas Lords Temporal serve for life. Members of the House of Lords are known as "Lords of Parliament".

Related Topics:
Church of England - Peerage

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The House of Lords originated in the 14th century and has been in almost continuous existence since. The name 'House of Lords' was not used as a name for the Upper House until 1544. It was abolished in 1649 by the revolutionary government that came to power during the English Civil War, but was restored in 1660. The House of Lords (the "Upper House") was once more powerful than the elected House of Commons (the "Lower House"). Since the 19th century, however, the powers of the House of Lords have been steadily declining; now, the Upper House is far weaker than its elected counterpart. Under the Parliament Acts (passed in 1911 and 1949) all legislation excluding "money bills" (including the Budget) passed by the House of Commons can be delayed for twelve months, but cannot be rejected. This power is called a suspensive veto in political science. Reforms were enacted under the House of Lords Act 1999, which removed the automatic hereditary right of peers to sit in the Upper House. A small number retain seats because they hold office as Great Officers of State, and an additional 92 are elected as representative peers. Additional reforms are contemplated by the current Labour Government, but have not been passed into law.

Related Topics:
14th century - 1544 - 1649 - English Civil War - 1660 - Upper House - Lower House - 19th century - Parliament Act - 1911 - 1949 - Suspensive veto - House of Lords Act 1999 - Great Officers of State - Representative peers

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In addition to performing legislative functions, the House of Lords also holds judicial powers: it constitutes the highest court of appeal for most cases in the United Kingdom. The judicial functions of the House of Lords are not performed by the whole Chamber, but rather by a group of members with legal experience, who are known as "Law Lords". The House of Lords is not the only court of last resort in the United Kingdom; in some cases, that role is fulfilled by the Privy Council. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 will transfer the judicial functions of the Lords to a new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom when it comes into effect.

Related Topics:
Judicial functions of the House of Lords - Court of last resort - Privy Council - Constitutional Reform Act 2005 - Supreme Court of the United Kingdom

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The full, formal style of the House of Lords is: The Right Honourable The Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament Assembled. The House of Lords, like the House of Commons, meets in the Palace of Westminster.

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