British Parliament

1215	Magna Carta - La Grande Charte : It was imposed on the King by his rebel barons. Magna Carta was the result of disagreements between the Pope and King John and his barons over the rights of the king: Magna Carta required the king to renounce certain rights and respect certain legal procedures, and to accept that the will of the king could be bound by law. Magna Carta is widely considered to be the first step in a long historical process leading to the rule of constitutional law?
1258	Henceforth distinct from the Privy Council (Chambre du Roi), the Parliament becomes permanent.
XIVth century	The Parliament opens up to a representation of the gentry (la petite noblesse) and the bourgeois, who sit separately : two Houses.
XVth century	New concessions of the kings whose money needs were urgent : The Hundred Year's War (La Guerre de Cent Ans)
XVIth century	Absolutist trends of the Tudor (Henry VIII, Elizabeth I)
1649	The Parliament sentences King Charles I to death.
1689	The Declaration of Rights, accepted by William of Orange, limits the powers of the King, subjects his acts to the control of the Parliament and guarantees individual liberties.
1721-1742	Robert Walpole is the very first Prime Minister of Great-Britain. The Executive Power is given to the Cabinet, which is a ministerial group independent from the sovereign. The Prime Minister is the Leader of the House of Commons (La Chambre des Communes)
1832	The electoral Law extends the right to vote. The lower middle-class (la Petite Bourgeoisie) and the working class (les ouvriers) are still excluded from it.
1867-1884	Electoral reforms occur : The right to vote is given to almost all English people (men).
XXth century	Triumph of the House of Commons : Lloyd George (Prime Minister) deprives the House of the Lords from every financial power.
1918	Universal Suffrage for men
1928	Universal Suffrage for women

1 - The House of Commons

Functions : There bills (projets de loi) are discussed, acts (lois) are voted, debates take place, questions are asked to the Government.

Organization : The members of Parliament (MP's) (députés) are 660, number which can evolve about every 10 or 15 years with the revisions of the Constituency Map (carte des circonscriptions).

Each party has its leader. The Whip (député chef de file) is made responsible for carrying out discipline into the group.

MP's are divided into Frontbenchers (ministers) and Backbenchers.

The Speaker (le président de la Chambre) is not involved in the vote.

Etiquette : MP's don't speak directly one to another, but they speak to the Speaker. When mentionning a MP, they say "The Honourable Member for (followed by the constituency), and for a minister, they say "The Right Honourable Gentleman".

The entrance of MP's is made in a ceremonial way : The Speaker enters first, then the mace carrier (the mace is carried by the Sergeant at Arms and is the symbol of the People's authority), then the MP's in a procession.

When a vote takes place, the MP's join the "corridor" of Ayes and Noes (des "ouis" et des "non").

The House of the Lords is designated by the term : Another Place.

2 - The House of the Lords

Functions : It can only amend Bills/Laws passed (adoptées) by the Commons.

Its right of veto has been limited to one year since 1949 (with Clement Attlee as the Labour Prime Minister).

There the Sovereign formally opens the parliamentary session with the King's/Queen's speech, prepared by the Cabinet and in which the latter lists its program and intentions.

Organization :It is made up of Peers of different types :

Peers of Royal Blood : Prince Charles, Prince of Edimburgh...
Hereditary Peers : More than 900, who never, or hardly, exercise their right to sit.
Life Peers (Life Peerage Act, 1958) : Peers who are chosen on a List of Honour by the Prime Minister for their merits or their service to the Nation.
Lawlords (Hauts Magistrats), who constitute the legal committee of the House.
The archbishops (archevêques) who represent the Anglican Church

The Lord Chancellor (Président de la Chambre) is a member of the Cabinet. He does not take part in votes.

Etiquette : When speaking to the House of the Lords, one says : "My Lords"

The "for" and "against" are the "content" and "non content".

The decor is more luxurious than the Commons' one.