Ahmed Mourad (Cairo)
About 800 years ago, the United Kingdom witnessed the start of the first beginnings of the oldest and oldest parliaments and legislative assemblies in history, and with the passage of time the mechanisms of the British Parliament’s work evolved until it became the most important and famous legislative institution in Europe, and one of the most prominent houses of democracy in the world.
800 years old
The British Parliament is the oldest parliament in the world, as it was established before the twelfth century AD, and the word parliament was used in England for the first time in 1236 to describe the consultative meeting of the king.
During the reign of King Henry III, specifically during the year 1258, an agreement was approved that included proposals to hold regular meetings of Parliament three times a year, and to include 12 representatives of the provinces from non-nobles.
With King Edward I assuming power in 1272, Parliament’s work evolved and turned into something like an institution, and it became a regular meeting at a rate of twice a year, and in 1295 Parliament convened for the first time in the presence of representatives from each province and town.
In the period between 1329 and 1341, the representatives of the people, the nobles, and the king sat together in one room called the House of Commons, but the representatives of the people in the council separated after that from the nobles, who became for them another house in Parliament called the House of Lords, and here the British Parliament became two chambers, the House of Commons , and the House of Lords.
During the reign of King Charles II, specifically in the year 1660, the concept of monarchy developed in Britain, and it became a constitutional monarchy, after the powers of government were withdrawn from the king and granted to the elected parliament. highest in Britain.
650 members of the “public”
The House of Commons is described as the first chamber of the British Parliament, and it consists of 650 elected members, and it is formed every 5 years, and includes representatives from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and England has 529 seats, Scotland 59 seats, Wales 40 seats, and Northern Ireland 18 seats .
The House of Commons represents the highest legislative authority in Britain, and the party that wins the majority of its seats in the legislative elections forms the government at the request of the King. Request to withdraw confidence from the government.
740 members of the “Lords”
The House of Lords is the second chamber of the British Parliament, and it is complementary to the work of the elected House of Commons, and shares with it the task of drafting and auditing laws, reviewing government work and decisions, and following up on the implementation of recommendations and legislation, but it is less empowered than the House of Commons.
The House of Lords consists of 740 appointed members, and they are divided into two classes, the first is spiritual lords who are bishops and officials of monasteries, and the second includes those who hold the title of noble, duke and baron, and the members are appointed by the king, the prime minister, and some independent bodies, some of them are hereditary nobles, and some are from Experienced people, and in the recent period, the share of hereditary appointees has been reduced in favor of those with experience. The main role of the House of Lords is to study the laws after the approval of the House of Commons, and it can propose amendments to it, but it does not object to its basic principles, and it has the right to request postponement, but it cannot cancel a law passed by the House of Commons.
Voiceless head
The position of the Speaker of the House of Commons is the highest authority in the British Parliament, and he is responsible for everything that happens under the dome of the House, and he undertakes the tasks of conducting the work of the House, ensuring that the parties respect the prevailing parliamentary laws and customs, and not violating them in any way.
According to the British parliamentary tradition, the speaker of the House of Representatives is re-elected for a second term as soon as he wishes to do so, and despite the right of the House to refuse re-nomination, this has never happened in the history of the British Parliament.
Parliamentary custom, when deputies elect the Speaker of the Council, requires that the Speaker be withdrawn from among those present and led to the presidential chair. Upon his election, the Speaker of the Council must stop representing the party to which he belongs in Parliament, and he is not entitled to participate in voting, express his opinion, or participate in discussions unless for regulatory purposes.
«Westminster» .. the palace of antiquity
The British parliamentarian is known as the “Palace of Westminster”, and it is one of the oldest buildings in Britain, and one of the most famous buildings in the world. It is located in the center of London, several meters from the office of the British Prime Minister.
In the past, the Parliament building was one of the royal palaces, and it includes two rooms, the first in green, for the House of Commons, and the second in red, for the House of Lords.
King’s scepter
In the British House of Commons, there is a scepter that is a symbol of royal authority, and it dates back to the reign of King Charles II in the seventeenth century AD. It is 5 feet long and is made of silver plated with gold.
Parliamentary traditions require that no new law be enacted inside the dome of the House of Commons except in the presence of the scepter that is carried to the council chamber before the session at the front of the council speaker’s procession, and is placed on the council table when meetings are held, while it is placed under the table when discussing financial matters, as an indication of the competence of parliament Alone in this matter without royal authority.
The scepter is absent from the council if the king personally presents it to the parliament building, and there is an official concerned with taking care of it, as he brings it every day to the council hall, and takes it up at the end of the sessions.
Powers and tasks
According to the British constitution, Parliament represents the supreme legislative and legal authority in the United Kingdom, and there are many powers and tasks assigned to Parliament and its members, the most prominent of which is the issuance of all new laws related to all citizens’ affairs, and always working to follow up the laws that have been legislated by monitoring the work of the government, and resorting to its accountability when abuses, and consideration of all the details of the tasks assigned to the ministries, with decisions being taken by members of Parliament. In addition to looking at how taxes are spent, and considering the most important issues that affect people’s lives, issues of health, education, transportation and the environment, providing job opportunities for young people and opening new schools, and working to develop and modify the performance of schools, are at the forefront of societal issues discussed by the British Parliament in its two chambers.
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