Page 193 - DPOL202_COMPARATIVE_POLITICS_AND_GOVERNMENT_ENGLISH

Comparative Politics and Government

Notes House of Lords

Organisation: The House of Lords consists of the members of six categories. In the first place, there
are the princes of the royal blood who usually take no part in its proceedings. Second, there are all
hereditary peers and peeresses of England above the age of 21. This category of peers constitutes a
large number of the members of the House of Lords and the eldest of a peer of this category gets
peerage in succession after the death of his father unless he disclaims it within a year of the death of
his father. Third, there are Scottish peers. Prior to 1963, there were only 16 peers from Scotland
elected for each Parliament by the body of peers, but the Peerage Act of 1963 has conferred membership
of the House on all peers. Fourth, there are life peers and peeresses created under the provisions of
the Life Peerage Act of 1958. Fifth, there are 9 Law Lords appointed by the monarch under Appellate
Jurisdiction Act of 1876 for the performance of judicial functions during their life only. Last, there are
26 spiritual peers including two Archbishops of York and Canterbury and three bishops of London,
Durham and Winchester respectively. The rest 21 are taken on the basis of seniority list of bishops.
In November, 1999 the British Government made a law to reduce the number of hereditary peers
(who had the right to sit and vote in the Lords) from 750 to 92. In May, 2000 the Government set up
the House of Lords Appointment Commission to make recommendations on the appointment of
non-political peers including people’s peers. It has taken over the role previously played by the
Political Honours Scrutiny Committee. The Commission is an independent body responsible for vetting
all nominations to the Sovereign for membership of this House to ensure that they meet the highest
standards of propriety. In order to make the House a more representative body, now anyone in the
United Kingdom is entitled to nominate himself-herself or any other person. But this Commission
would expect that such a person is known for his/her integrity and independence and has a significant
record of achievements in the chosen field or way of life. In April, 2001 the Queen announced her
intention to bestow non-political life peerages on 15 people preferred by this Commission.
Peerage is a great privilege to those who want to receive certain apolitical advantages without
oscillating through the channel of the House of Commons. The Lords enjoy freedom of speech and
also freedom from arrest while the House is in session. They can individually approach the king to
discuss public affairs or recording their protest against decision of the majority in the House in its
Journals. But the biggest disqualification of a peer is that he can not take part in the elections of the
House of Commons. The Peerage Act of 1963 enables a peer to disclaim his peerage and thereby seek
election to the House of Commons. Thus, a man of political ambitions may disclaim his peerage and
thereby seek election to the House of Commons to become the Prime Minister of the country if
circumstances so favour as we find in the case of Sir Alec Douglas-Home.
Functions and Powers: The House of Lords is summoned and prorogued simultaneously with the
House of Commons but adjourned separately. It meets for four days a week - Monday to Thursday -
and for about two hours a day unless the matter before it is of an exceptionally important nature. Its
quorum is 3, but a minimum attendance of 30 is required to pass a bill. Its average attendance
(particularly after the Reforms Act of 1957) is about 200. Its presiding officer is the Lord Chancellor
who takes his chair called the ‘woolsack’. But his position is very weak as contrasted with the office
of the Speaker of the House of Commons. Convention requires that the members must address the
whole House as ‘My Lords’ instead of addressing the chairman only. The questions regarding
procedure are decided by the Houseand not by the chairman. For instance, if two or more members
stand up to take the floor of the House, not the chairman but the House decides theissue of recognition.
The proceedings are normally conducted in a very orderly manner and if there is some lapse, the
matter is to be dealt with by the House itself. The Lord Chancellor may take part in the deliberations
of the House only when he is a peer. But while doing so, he must step away from the ‘woolsack’ and
even vote on party lines like any other member of the House. He has no casting vote. It is, therefore,
obvious that the position of the Lord Chancellor is not strong as that of the Speaker of the House of
Commons.
It has now become an established fact that the House of Lords is a weak chamber as it has become
subservient to the will of House of Commons. Its functions are rather ceremonial which may be

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