Lord Chancellor

The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor and in former times Chancellor of England, is one of the most senior and important functionaries in the government of the United Kingdom. He is a Great Officer of State, and is appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister and is, by convention, always a peer, although there is no legal impediment to the appointment of a commoner. The Lord Chancellor's responsibilities are wide-ranging: they include presiding over the House of Lords; participating in the Cabinet; acting as the custodian of the Great Seal; and heading the judiciary. Concerns over these wide-ranging powers have led to Tony Blair's administration proposing the abolition of the office. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 will transfer many of the powers to others. Since 2003, Lord Falconer of Thoroton has served as Lord Chancellor and also Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs.

Ceremonies

Like the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Lord Chancellor has an official residence within the Palace of Westminster. Before each day's sitting of the House of Lords, the Lord Chancellor forms part of a procession that marches from his residence to the Lords Chamber. The Lord Chancellor is preceded by the Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms or Principal Doorkeeper of the House (who bears the Mace) and by the Purse-Bearer (who carries a large purse embroidered and decorated the Royal Arms and cypher.) The Lord Chancellor is followed by his Train-Bearer; the procession is later joined by the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod. The Mace is placed on the Woolsack, where the Lord Chancellor sits after a bishop has led the House in prayers.

Related Topics:
Palace of Westminster - Serjeant-at-Arms - Mace - Royal Arms - Cypher - Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod

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The Lord Chancellor participates in the ceremony of introduction, which takes place every time a newly created peer joins the House of Lords. Formerly, the ceremony involved an elaborate ritual. First, the new peer would have to kneel before the Lord Chancellor and present his writ of summons (which indicates a peer's right to a seat in the House of Lords). After a clerk read the writ aloud, the new peer would proceed to his seat along with two other peers. All three, after taking their seats, would immediately rise, doff their hats and bow to the Lord Chancellor, and then repeat the practice two more times. The ceremony of kneeling before the Lord Chancellor and of doffing hats was deemed undignified and unnecessary, and was changed in 1998; now, new peers must merely shake hands with the Lord Chancellor during introductions.

Related Topics:
Introduction - 1998

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The Lord Chancellor is also involved in the annual ceremony known as the State Opening of Parliament, during which the Sovereign delivers the Speech from the Throne (also known as the King's or Queen's Speech), outlining the agenda of the Government for the upcoming parliamentary session. (The content of the Speech is determined not by the Sovereign, but by the Prime Minister and other ministers.) When all are ready to begin, the Lord Chancellor proceeds up the steps to the Throne, kneels and presents a piece of vellum on which the Speech is written to the Sovereign. As he descends the steps to the Throne, the Lord Chancellor walks backwards, so as to keep from turning his back to the Sovereign. Upon the conclusion of the Speech, the Lord Chancellor once again kneels before the Sovereign to receive the piece of parchment, and once again descends the steps walking backwards. The ceremony of kneeling was dispensed with in the case of Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone, who suffered from arthritis. Lord Irvine of Lairg announced that he would not walk backwards whilst descending the steps to the Throne, but (despite much speculation) his successor, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, restored the tradition. At the most recent Queen's Speech, the Lord Chancellor did however announce that no one would be walking backwards and duly no one did.

Related Topics:
State Opening of Parliament - Speech from the Throne - Vellum - Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone - Arthritis - Lord Irvine of Lairg

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