English Law

English Law publications

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An English Law is formally known as an Act of Parliament. Before any government policy becomes part of English Law, it must first be written out as a Bill or draft Act. MPs and members of the House of Lords discuss the Bill and suggest changes in Parliament before a Bill becomes a part of English Law.

A Bill has to pass through many different stages in Parliament before it can be given Royal Assent and pass into English law. Bills can be introduced into either the House of Commons or the House of Lords.

Making a Law can be a long and complicated process. If needed, people and organisations have to be properly consulted on the idea; the Bill has to be written in a way that is acceptable to the Parliament; and then be thoroughly debated.

Different parts of the Bill (or clauses) are voted on and amendments made; more debating and negotiation can follow between the House of Commons and the House of Lords before the Bill is agreed and passed for Royal Assent.

Primary legislation can take anything from a few months to many years to pass into English Law, depending on the complexity and opposition to Bills in Parliament.

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The stages in British Law are as follows:

Before Parliament

• The initial idea
• Writing the Bill

Discussing the Bill

• First reading
• Second reading
• Committee Stage
• Report Stage
• Third reading
• The House of Lords

Making it British Law

• Royal Assent
• Implementing the Law

When an Act comes into force depends on its wording. In some cases, its provisions apply immediately. In others, a starting-date (or more than one if different parts of an Act may come into force at different times) is laid down in the Act. In other cases, a Commencement Order must be made to activate the Act, or certain parts of it.

Once the Act has been implemented it is the law of the land. The lengthy and thorough process of legislation has finally come to a conclusion.

TSO is the official English Law publisher for the UK Government, Parliaments and assemblies and can supply you with information relating to almost all Government legislation and English Law.

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