Influences on Parliament- AS Law Unit 1

Composition:- Chairman - High court judge           - support staff including researchers.

                         - 4 Law commissioners - Senior/ experienced/specialised lawyers (professionals)

Set up by the Law Commission Act 1965

Role:- "to keep under review all the law"

They make proposals to:

- To modernise and develop the law by making new law.

- To codify the existing law                     - To consolidate the law

- To repeal old/obsolete laws

Method of working:- Selection of area to be reviewed; may be identified by Government or LC

-Detailed research of the law; working paper sent for consultation seeking views on possible new law.

- Final report: - making the final reccomendations for new law reform - with draft bill attached.

-The final report may be fully implemented/ partially implemented by legislation or rejected/abandoned.

-Groups/organisations formed to represent particular causes/interests.

-Can bring pressure on the govt to change/make new laws or promote the cause/interest.

- Or they can fight to resist changing the law; to protect their cause/interest.

Two types of pressure groups:- Causal or Sectional

Causal:- exists to highlight/promote particular cause: e.g- Greenpeace or NSPCC

Sectional:- exists to highlight/promote interests of particular group/sector or people: e.g- NUT

Methods:- demonstrations/petitions

                 - Lobbying MPS- pressure by group on individual MP; to support/oppose proposed legislation; to draw Parliament's attention to particular Issue; To propose legislation ono particular issue.

-Consultations eg with Law Commission                  - Publicity through Media

- Consider the types of media:- Newspapers; TV; Radio; Magazines.

- The importance of public opinion to parliament is high because they are the people who it will be affecting.

-Media as a means of informing Parliament and the public. They have the ability to voice both sides to both parties.

- Media as means of expressing of public opinion

- Increasing importance of Public consultations.

Examples of the media influecing Parliamentry Law Making:- Sarahs' Law

- Consider:- Each MP belongs to a political party, and the party with the Majority of MPs forms the government, the government then proposes new legislation.

- Therefore:- Government majority should ensure proposals are enacted.

- Manifesto:

    - Paper published by each political party before the General Election

    - identifies and explains party's policies/objectives - if elected

    - party which forms government introduces laws to implement manifesto during 5 years of Govt.

Consider how government influences parliamentry law making:

- control of parliamentry timetable                      - Excercise of the guillotine

-use of party whip

-majority in comittee