AQA Law Parliamentary Law Making etc..

Law Making
Parliamentary law making
1. Pressure groups
There are 2 types of pressure group;

Sectional (interest group)

Cause (pressure group)

Type of pressure group Explanation Illustration
Sectional They exist to further the British Medical Association,
(Interest group) interests of a particular group Trade Union Congress, National
of people. Union…

2. Media Influence

Examples include:

Following the murder of Sarah Paine in 2000, a News of the World campaign began to name
and shame paedophiles. This led to the government passing a law requiring police to keep a
register of convicted paedophiles.
The murder of Stephen Laurence and the acquittal…

Disadvantages of the Law Commission:

Suggests that lawyers have too much influence
Governments may not prioritise changing the law (lack of funding or political reasons) so law
change can be slow


Parliamentary Sovereignty
Parliamentary sovereignty means;


Parliaments power is unlimited in that it can make laws on any subject
The…

The government was given 6 months to lift the ban on prisoner's rights to vote by the EU according
to conventional human rights. At present, the government have still not complied. (September 2011)

Devolution:
Scotland and Wales have power (to make domestic laws) devolved to them. Eg. The Scotland Act…

Disadvantages of Parliamentary law making:

Undemocratic ­

Elements of Parliamentary law making are undemocratic in that the House of Lords is an unelected
body, as is the monarch but they both have `a say' in what legislation is passed. Civil Servants have a
large role in drafting Bills and they…