| 释义 |
Parliament
n. The legislature of the UK, consisting of the sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. Under the Parliament Act 1911, the maximum duration of any particular Parliament is five years, after which its functions expire. Historically, a Parliament’s life was always ended by its dissolution by the sovereign under the royal prerogative; this proclamation also summoned its successor. In practice, the date of dissolution was usually chosen by the Prime Minister. Under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 a general election must now be held on a preset date five years after the previous such election and Parliament is automatically dissolved 25 days before this date. An earlier election can only be called where (a) the House of Commons passes a motion of no confidence in the government and no alternative or reconfigured government wins a confidence vote within 14 days; or (b) the House votes for an early dissolution by a two-thirds majority (as happened in April 2017 and November 2019). In December 2020 the government published a short draft Bill proposing the repeal of the 2011 Act and a return to the previous system. The life of a Parliament is divided into sessions, normally of one year each, which are ended when Parliament is prorogued (under the prerogative) by a royal commission. Each House divides a session into sittings, normally of a day’s duration, which end when a motion for adjournment is passed. The functions of Parliament are the enactment of legislation (see Act of Parliament), the sanctioning of taxation and public expenditure, and the scrutiny and criticism of government policy and administration. See also sovereignty of Parliament. |