How are laws made?

Learning Objectives

1) Students can explain the process in which a law is made.

2) Students can describe what occurs at each stage of creating a new law.

3) Students can explain the meanings of key words related to law making.

Recap

• Spider diagram

• In your groups, write down as many things as you can remember about….

• What the law is?• Why do we have laws?• Differences between criminal and civil law.

Laws – where are they made?

• Laws can be created in the Houses of Parliament by Members of Parliament (MP’s).

• Laws can also be created by Judges within the judicial system (Common Law) and through our association with Europe (European Union Law).

• Members of Parliament are elected democratically by the people of the United Kingdom and so we give them powers to do this.

• This makes them accountable to voters.

Why pass new laws?

• Why do we need to pass new laws?

Why pass new laws?

• Changes in society• Changes in Government• Public pressure• Response to public safety

The process in which a law is created.

Ideas to bills

• Before bills can be put forward to Parliament, Governments usually go through consultation stages in which they ask other interested parties about whether the proposed law would be relevant.

• Green Paper – Government’s ideas for future laws

• White Paper – Government’s policy after consultation with interested parties. Ready to be introduced to parliament as a BILL.

The debate through Parliament

• A bill can be presented either through the House of Commons, or through the House of Lords. Today we will look at a bill that starts in the House of Commons

• There are seven stages that the bill must go through in order to become an ACT OF PARLIAMENT (law).

House of Commons

House of Lords

Laws – how are they made?

• Task. As a group, place the different stages of creating an Act in the correct order.

• Once you’ve done this, watch the video. Don’t change your order for the minute. Once the video has finished then I’ll give you a few minutes to discuss and change it.

• On your worksheet, then write down the correct order.

LO1 - Students can explain the process in which a law is made

The law making process (2:22)

First reading

Second reading

Committee stage

Report stage

Third reading

House of Lords (repeat all stages above)

Royal assent

12CR3

A good way to remember the first few stages

What happens at each stage?

• I’m now going to supply you with a description of what occurs at each stage.

• In your groups, can you match these up with the stage headings from the information that you gained from the video?

LO2 - Students can describe what occurs at each stage of

creating a new law

Bingo!

• Place all your sheets away inside your books

• We are going to test our knowledge of the key words and stages that we’ve been studying today.

LO3 - Students can explain the meanings of key words related

to law making