Bill

Bill in United Kingdom

Definition of Bill

In accordance with the work A Dictionary of Law, this is a description of Bill :

A draft of a proposed *Act of Parliament, which must (normally) be passed by both Houses before becoming an Act. Bills are either public or private, and the procedure governing their passing by Parliament depends basically on this distinctio In general, a public Bill is one relating to matters of general concern; it is introduced by the government or by a private member (private member’s Bill). In the House of Commons the government sets aside certain Fridays for debate on private member’s Bills, and a ballot at the beginning of each session of Parliament determines the members whose Bills are to have priority on those days. A private member’s Bill that is not supported by the government stands little chance of successfully completing all stages and becoming an Act. The government sometimes prefers a private member to sponsor a particularly controversial Bill that they themselves support; for example, the Abortion Act 1967 was introduced by a private member (David Steel) and was successful because it had the support of the government of the day. A public Bill, unless predominantly financial, can be introduced in either House (less controversial Bills are introduced in the Lords first). The Bill is presented by the minister or other member in charge, passed by being read three times, and then sent to the other House. Its first reading is a formality, but it is debated on second and third readings, between which it goes through a Committee stage and a Report stage during which amendments may be made. A Bill that has not become an Act by the end of the session lapses; if reintroduced in a subsequent session, it must go through all stages agai

A private Bill is one designed to benefit a particular person, local authority, or other body, by whom it is presented. It is introduced on a petition by the promoter, which is preceded by public advertisement and by notice to those directly affected. Its Committee stage in the first House is conducted before a small group of members, and evidence for and against it is heard. Thereafter, it follows the procedure for public Bills.

A hybrid Bill is a government bill that is purely local or personal in character and affects only one of a number of interests in the same class. For example, a government Bill to nationalize one only of several private-sector airlines would be hybrid. A hybrid Bill proceeds as a public Bill until after second reading in the first House, after which it is treated similarly to a private Bill.

Definition of Bill

In accordance with the work A Dictionary of Law, this is a description of Bill :

1. Any of various written instruments; for example, a *bill of exchange, a *bill of indictment, or a *bill of lading.

2. A written account of money owed; for example, a *bill of costs.

Henry VIII clauses Meaning, as used in the UK Parliament

The Government sometimes adds this provision to a Bill to enable the Government to repeal or amend it after it has become an Act of Parliament. The provision enables primary legislation to be amended or repealed by subordinate legislation with or without further parliamentary scrutiny.

Such provisions are known as Henry VIII clauses, so named from the Statute of Proclamations 1539 which gave King Henry VIII power to legislate by proclamation.

Resources

See Also

  • Bills

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