On 23rd November 2022 the UK Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling on the issue of devolution and the right of the Scottish Parliament to legislate to hold an independence referendum. So, what did the Supreme Court judge on this issue and why is this significant?
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In the UK the House of Commons has primacy over the House of Lords. There are a number of reasons for this, including conventions, democratic legitimacy and statute laws. The most important statutes that enforce the supremacy of the Commons are the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949. The significance of these acts was shown as the Article 50 Bill was going through Parliament in 2017. So what are the Parliament Acts and how can the Article 50 bill be used as an example of their significance?
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The legislative agenda in Parliament is dominated by the Executive. It is rare for bills put forward by backbenchers (Private Members Bills) to become Acts of Parliament. Indeed, between the 2015 General Election and September 2022 only 16% of bills passed were Private Members Bills. Of these, one of the least common passages is through the Ten-Minute Rule Bill. Of those introduced since 2010, only five have become Royal Assent and become laws (0.99%). So, what is a Ten-Minute Rule Bill and why do MPs bother with them?
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