AC1.1 - DESCRIBE PROCESSES USED FOR LAW MAKING
Act of Parliament
Legislation that controls or limits the behaviour of the public, it must be approved of through
the House of Commons, House of Lords and the Monarch, leading to it becoming law which
if broken can be prosecuted for.
Examples previously covered
1. Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE)
2. Criminal Justice Act 2003
3. Prosecution of Offences Act 1985
Campaigns for change that have influenced laws
1. Ann Ming's campaign - changed the Criminal Justice Act through abolishing Double
Jeopardy
Snowdrop Campaign (Dunblane) - changed the Firearms Act to increase gun control
3. Justice for Stephan - changed the Race Relations Act
Process of Parliamentary law making
Pre-legislative stage:
First stage: White Paper: Consultation document. the initial ideas of what the new law would
be, where feedback can be given to improve the first ideas
Second stage: Green Paper:Further consultations an improved version of the possible law
with a draft to allow last changes before the bill is debated in parliament
Legislative stage
First reading:The Bill is read and presented in the House of Commons, there is no debate,
and the bill is then published
Second reading:This is the first opportunity for MPs to debate the bill, taking place no earlier
than two weekends after the first weekend, it ends with MPs voting whether or not the bill
should proceed
Committee stage: A detailed, line by line, examination of the bill takes place, all clauses and
amendments must be agreed upon, and a new version of the bill is created.
Report stage:The new and updated version is presented to the House of Commons again,
where it can be debated and amendments can be proposed
Third reading:This is the final reading of the bill, where amendments cannot be made. At the
end of the reading, MPs vote whether to approve of the bill, if so, it moves to the next stage
The other house:A similar process above takes place in the House of Lords, where the bill is
debated, amended and voted on. If the House agrees, the bill can continue
Royal assent:The Queen must give approval of the bill and agree to its contents
Commencement of the Act:Once that has been given, the bill becomes an Act and therefore
is law
Process of judicial law making
● Supreme Court judges must come together and preside over an appeal. They must
come to a majority decision that there is a point of law of general public importance
● They decide if there is an error in the law and create a precedent, which means if
courts come across a similar case, they must also implement the same outcome.
Act of Parliament
Legislation that controls or limits the behaviour of the public, it must be approved of through
the House of Commons, House of Lords and the Monarch, leading to it becoming law which
if broken can be prosecuted for.
Examples previously covered
1. Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE)
2. Criminal Justice Act 2003
3. Prosecution of Offences Act 1985
Campaigns for change that have influenced laws
1. Ann Ming's campaign - changed the Criminal Justice Act through abolishing Double
Jeopardy
Snowdrop Campaign (Dunblane) - changed the Firearms Act to increase gun control
3. Justice for Stephan - changed the Race Relations Act
Process of Parliamentary law making
Pre-legislative stage:
First stage: White Paper: Consultation document. the initial ideas of what the new law would
be, where feedback can be given to improve the first ideas
Second stage: Green Paper:Further consultations an improved version of the possible law
with a draft to allow last changes before the bill is debated in parliament
Legislative stage
First reading:The Bill is read and presented in the House of Commons, there is no debate,
and the bill is then published
Second reading:This is the first opportunity for MPs to debate the bill, taking place no earlier
than two weekends after the first weekend, it ends with MPs voting whether or not the bill
should proceed
Committee stage: A detailed, line by line, examination of the bill takes place, all clauses and
amendments must be agreed upon, and a new version of the bill is created.
Report stage:The new and updated version is presented to the House of Commons again,
where it can be debated and amendments can be proposed
Third reading:This is the final reading of the bill, where amendments cannot be made. At the
end of the reading, MPs vote whether to approve of the bill, if so, it moves to the next stage
The other house:A similar process above takes place in the House of Lords, where the bill is
debated, amended and voted on. If the House agrees, the bill can continue
Royal assent:The Queen must give approval of the bill and agree to its contents
Commencement of the Act:Once that has been given, the bill becomes an Act and therefore
is law
Process of judicial law making
● Supreme Court judges must come together and preside over an appeal. They must
come to a majority decision that there is a point of law of general public importance
● They decide if there is an error in the law and create a precedent, which means if
courts come across a similar case, they must also implement the same outcome.
