Third reading (Commons) - UK Parliament Third reading (Commons) Bill starting in the House of Commons House of Commons Royal Assent Opportunity for final debate on the Bill Third reading is the final chance for the Commons to debate the contents of a Bill. It usually takes place immediately after report stage as the next item of business on the same day. What happens at third reading? Debate on the Bill is usually short, and limited to what is actually in the Bill, rather than, as at second reading, what might have been included. Amendments (proposals for change) cannot be made to a Bill at third reading in the Commons. At the end of the debate, the House decides (votes on) whether to approve the third reading of the Bill. What happens after third reading? If the Bill started in the Commons it goes to the House of Lords for its first reading. If the Bill started in the Lords it returns to the House of Lords for consideration of any amendments the Commons has made. This page requires the latest version of the Flash plugin and JavaScript to be enabled.

You can download the latest version of Flash for free from adobe.com/go/getflashplayer Justis - The stages of a Bill Public Bills deal with matters of public, general interest and fall into two categories: Government Bills – those introduced by a Minister. Private Members’ Bills – those introduced by MPs of any party. As stated above, Public Bills, introduced by a Minister – hence the Government – are far more likely to be enacted than those introduced by way of a Private Members’ Bill. ii) Private and Local Bills These Bills affect specified persons, categories or localities. They are introduced into Parliament through a petition by the individual persons or organisations, such as local authorities, desiring the Bill. iii) Hybrid Bills These are usually Government Bills which specifically affect particular individuals or groups. They are therefore treated in many ways like Private Bills. An example would be the Channel Tunnel Act 1987 because it had a specific impact on landowners in Kent. 5. Stages of a Bill through Parliament The stages of a Bill as it makes its passage through Parliament are as follows: i) First Reading This is when the title of the Bill is announced and copies of it are distributed.

Many Private Members’ Bills fail at this stage, but it does give the MP sponsoring the Bill the opportunity to draw public and governmental attention to the matter and to express why they feel the legislation is needed. ii) Second Reading This is the stage when the House debates the general principles contained in the Bill. It is very rare for a Government Bill to be denied a second reading. iii) Committee Stage Most Bills will then pass over to a Standing Committee (designated by letters, i.e. Standing Committee A, B, C) which is constituted for the specific purpose of dealing with Bills. It consists of approximately 18 MPs and reflects the state of the parties represented in the Commons. At the Committee Stage, the Committee or the House, which can itself sit as a Committee, subjects the Bill to a thorough line-by-line examination and makes amendments where necessary. (Note: Standing Committees should not be confused with Select Committees or Joint Committees. Select Committees tend to take evidence rather than just debate issues. Any recommendations or findings emerging from these Committees are then passed to the Commons as command papers. Joint Committees consist of a Select Committee from each House appointed to meet under one chairman.) iv) Report Stage Here, the Bill that has been amended during the Committee Stage is reviewed.

All members of the House have an opportunity to speak and vote at this stage, making it distinct from the Standing Committee Stage, where the scope for debate is rather limited. (Note: in the Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly, the Report Stage is known as the Consideration Stage.) v) Third Reading Here, the House looks at the final version of the Bill in its entirety. This stage is usually quite brief, as no major amendments are made to a Bill passed on from the Report Stage. If substantial amendments are demanded, the Bill has to be sent back to the Standing Committee for further consideration. (Note: some Bills are also subject to guillotine motions, that is, debate on a Bill is limited so that it can be quickly enacted. This mainly occurs if the Government has called a general election and wishes to use its majority in the Commons to rush through parts of its legislative program. There is also a new stage to the process called a Programme Motion, introduced in 1999. Here, a programme or timetable is put before the House, setting out specific dates for the various stages of the Bill.) vi) Lords Stages These are similar to the various stages of the Commons.

Changes to a Bill in the House of Lords after it has completed all its stages in the Commons will necessitate an extra stage in the Commons, called Lords Amendments Considered, in order to approve or disapprove of any amendments made by the Lords. The Commons accepts around 90% of these Amendments because they are generally not controversial. The Lords may delay a Bill if, for example, it feels that there is no popular mandate for it. A recent example is the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill (now the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000 Chapter 44). The Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949 limit the delaying power of the Lords to thirty days in the case of Money Bills and up to one year in the case of other Bills. Unless the House of Commons invokes the Parliament Act, both Houses of Parliament must agree on the final text of the Bill. vii) Royal Assent The final stage is when the Crown formally assents to the Bill in order for it to pass into law. The Sovereign, as the third pillar of Parliament (along with the Commons and the Lords), must give consent to a Bill for it formally to become an Act.

The last time Royal Assent was given by the Sovereign in person was in 1854. Since the UK is a constitutional Monarchy, the Sovereign is bound to Assent to any Bill, except in the most extraordinary of circumstances. Assent has not been withheld since 1707, when Queen Anne refused a Bill for settling the militia in Scotland (the Scottish Militia Bill). 6. Conclusion Given that approximately 70% of legislation initiated by governments is not voted on when it comes to the second readings of Bills, it can be said with confidence that the Government is the dominant player when it comes to getting legislation passed. Bills are discussed, on average, for 7½ hours, but this allocation is not equally distributed between or within Acts. During the Commons processes, much legislation is therefore passed with little or no scrutiny. Due to strong party affiliation within the UK system of government, many controversial Bills can be forced through all of their parliamentary stages. One such Bill was the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill, which was opposed almost unanimously by the Opposition. Because of the government majority, however, the Bill survived, its original content practically unscathed, to become an Act.

This has led to concerns that the Commons is being used as a rubber stamp by governments with large majorities and that backbenchers are becoming increasingly irrelevant when faced with a strong and dominant executive. Many commentators have been calling for greater scrutiny of legislation. There have been suggestions that the role of the Committee could be expanded. For instance, perhaps a Hybrid Committee could be created from the current Standing and Select Committees. Ministers could be summoned to appear before such a Committee to account for certain provisions that are either absent from or included in the proposed legislation, and to explain the reasoning behind them. Legislative Process - General Article - Compendium of Procedure Home - House of Commons . Canada More information—Legislative Process Overview Law-making is one of the most significant tasks of Parliament. It is therefore not surprising that the legislative process takes up a major portion of Parliament’s time. The parliamentary stages described here are the culmination of a much longer process that starts with the proposal, formulation and drafting of a bill. In the Parliament of Canada, as in all legislative assemblies based on the British model, there is a clearly defined method for enacting legislation.

A bill must go through a number of specific stages in the House of Commons and the Senate before it becomes law: notice of motion for leave to introduce a bill and to place it on the Order Paper; preparation of a bill by a committee (where applicable); introduction and first reading; consideration and passage by the Senate; passage of Senate amendments by the Commons (where applicable); Royal Assent, and coming into force. All bills must go through the same stages of the legislative process, but they do not necessarily follow the same route. Three possible avenues now exist for the adoption of legislation: After appropriate notice, a Minister or a Member may introduce a bill, which will be given first reading immediately. The bill is then debated generally at the second reading stage and sent to a committee for clause-by-clause study. A Minister may move that a bill be referred to a committee for study before second reading. A Minister or a Member may propose a motion that a committee be instructed to prepare a bill. A bill will be presented by the committee and carried through the second reading stage without debate or amendment.

Regardless of the avenue that the sponsor decides to take, the bill will then have to pass through report stage, be read a third time, and be sent to the Senate for passage before receiving Royal Assent. The process is complex, but a bill can become law only once the same text has been approved by both Houses of Parliament and has received Royal Assent. Detailed Articles Stages in the Legislative Process Notice The introduction of any public bill requires 48 hours’ written notice. A Member or a Minister who intends to introduce a bill in the House of Commons must first give notice to the Clerk of the House before 6:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. on Friday). The title of the bill to be introduced is then placed on the Notice Paper for the next sitting of the House. The day after it appears on the Notice Paper, the title of the bill will appear in the Order Paper for introduction in the House. The title will remain on the Order Paper until the day on which the Member or Minister decides to introduce the bill.

Once notice is given for the introduction of a bill, no further notice is required for motions to consider the bill at the other stages (with the exception of motions to amend at the report stage and motions to deal with Senate amendments). There are separate requirements that apply to the notice for private bills. There are special rules dealing with the introduction of bills that involve the expenditure of public funds and bills that are based on ways and means motions. Detailed Articles Top Introduction and First Reading of a Bill The first real stage in the legislative process is the introduction and first reading of the bill in the House of Commons. Once the notice period has passed, the Member or Minister seeks leave to introduce his or her bill when the item “Introduction of Government Bills” or “Introduction of Private Members’ Bills” is called during Routine Proceedings. A Member normally provides a brief summary of the bill he or she is introducing. A Minister rarely provides any explanation when requesting leave to introduce a bill but is permitted to and may do so later, under “Statements by Ministers”, during Routine Proceedings. Detailed Articles Top Second Reading and Referral of a Bill to a Committee The second reading stage of the legislative process gives Members an opportunity to debate the general scope of the bill.

Unless a bill has been referred to a committee prior to second reading, debate at this stage must focus on the principle of the bill and, accordingly, the text of the bill may not be amended before being read a second time and referred to committee. The motion for second reading may be amended. Three types of amendments are permitted: a three months’ or six months’ hoist, which seeks to postpone consideration of the bill; a reasoned amendment, which requests that the House not give second reading to a bill for a specific reason; or a motion to refer the subject matter of the bill to a committee. Detailed Articles Top Referral of a Bill to Committee Before Second Reading A Minister may move that a government bill be referred to a committee before second reading. Doing so allows members of a committee to examine the principle of a bill before it is approved by the House of Commons and to propose amendments to alter its scope. This procedure can also apply to bills based on ways and means motions. After the committee reports the bill to the House, the next stage is essentially a combination of the report stage and second reading. Members may propose amendments, after giving written notice two sitting days before the bill is debated in the Chamber.

Once agreed to at report stage and read a second time, the bill is slated for third reading. Detailed Article Top Committee Stage of a Bill Most bills are referred to the standing committee the mandate of which most closely corresponds to the bill’s subject matter. However, the House may choose to refer a bill to a legislative committee, a distinct type of committee created solely to undertake the consideration of legislation. A legislative committee is appointed by the House on an ad hoc basis to deal with a particular bill and ceases to exist once it presents its report to the House. This type of committee may also be created to prepare and bring in a bill. The role of the committee is to review the text of the bill and to approve or modify it. It is at this stage that witnesses may be invited to appear before the committee to present their views and answer members’ questions. Once the witnesses have been heard, the committee proceeds to clause-by-clause study of the bill. It is at this point that members may propose amendments to the bill. Each clause is considered separately. Once all the parts of the bill have been considered and adopted with or without amendment, the committee votes on the bill as a whole.

Once the bill is adopted, the Chair asks the committee for leave to report the bill to the House. Committees must report to the House on all bills referred to them. If numerous amendments have been adopted, the committee may order that the bill be reprinted for the use of the Members at report stage. Detailed Articles Top Report Stage of a Bill Following consideration in committee, there is an opportunity for further study of the bill in the House during what is known as report stage. Members, particularly those who were not members of the committee, may, at this stage, propose motions to amend the text of the bill. Written notice is required and debate focuses on the amendments and not on the bill as a whole. Generally, the same rules relating to the admissibility of amendments proposed at committee stage apply to those at report stage. However, in order to prevent report stage from merely becoming a repetition of committee stage, the Speaker is authorized to select and group amendments for debate. The Speaker also determines whether each motion should be voted on separately or as part of a group. This ruling is made at the beginning of the report stage debate.

The Speaker will not normally select any amendment that was considered or that could have been considered in committee or amendments that were ruled inadmissible in committee. When deliberations at report stage are concluded, a motion is put forward to approve the bill (with any amendments). The question is put immediately, without amendment or debate. The wording of the motion will vary depending on whether or not the original bill was amended, and on the stage at which the amendments were made. There is no debate at report stage unless amendments are proposed. If the bill as reported by committee is adopted at report stage with no amendments, it may go immediately to third reading for adoption. A bill that has been reported by a Committee of the Whole, with or without amendment, must be put to a vote immediately at report stage and may proceed to third reading the same day. Detailed Articles Top Third Reading and Adoption of a Bill Third reading is the final stage a bill must pass in the House of Commons. It is at this point that Members must decide whether the bill should be adopted. Debate at this stage of the legislative process focuses on the final form of the bill. The amendments that are admissible at this stage are similar to those at second reading stage.

Amendments for a three- or six-month hoist as well as reasoned amendments are permitted. An amendment to recommit the bill to a committee with instructions to reconsider certain clauses is also acceptable. Third reading and passage of a bill are moved in the same motion. Once the motion for third reading has been adopted, the Clerk of the House certifies that the bill has passed. The bill is then sent to the Senate with a message requesting that it consider the bill. Detailed Articles Top Senate Consideration The Senate follows a legislative process that is very similar to the one in the House of Commons. In cases where the Senate adopts a Commons bill without amendment, a message is sent to the House of Commons to inform it that the bill has been passed, and Royal Assent is normally granted shortly thereafter. Since most government bills originate in the House of Commons, the Government sometimes requests that the Senate consider a bill as quickly as possible. The Rules of the Senate of Canada provide for a procedure known as pre-study whereby the subject matter of a bill that has been introduced in the House of Commons but has not yet been sent to the Senate is sent to a Senate standing committee.

In this way, the Senate can consider the bill and form its opinion even before it receives the bill from the House of Commons. When the bill is received, the Senate is then in a position to adopt or amend it within a very short time frame. The Senate often makes amendments to bills, some of which involve corrections to drafting errors or improvements to administrative aspects. The House normally accepts such amendments. If the House does not agree with the Senate amendments, it adopts a motion stating the reasons for its disagreement, which it communicates in a message to the Senate. If the Senate wishes the amendments to stand nonetheless, it sends a message back to the House, which then accepts or rejects the proposed changes. If an agreement cannot be reached by exchanging messages, the House that has possession of the bill may ask that a conference be held, although this practice has fallen into disuse. Detailed Articles Top Royal Assent and Coming into Force of a Bill The ceremony of Royal Assent is one of the oldest of all parliamentary proceedings and brings all three elements of Parliament together (the Crown, the Senate and the House of Commons). Royal Assent is the stage that a bill must complete before officially becoming an Act of Parliament.

A bill will not be given Royal Assent unless it has gone through all of the stages of the legislative process and has been passed by both Houses in identical form. Royal Assent may be granted in one of two ways—through a written procedure and through the traditional ceremony, during which Members of the House of Commons join their Senate colleagues in the Senate Chamber. The written procedure involves the Clerk of the Parliaments (the Clerk of the Senate), or his or her deputy, meeting with the Governor General, or his or her deputy, to present the bills with a letter indicating that they have been passed by both Houses and requesting that the bills be assented to. An Act that has been given Royal Assent in written form is considered assented to on the day on which the two Houses of Parliament have been notified of the declaration. The Royal Assent Act preserves the traditional ceremony by requiring that it be used at least twice in each calendar year, including for the first bill in each session that authorizes government spending. The traditional procedure for Royal Assent involves a formal ceremony that takes place in the Senate Chamber.

When the House is sitting, it suspends its proceedings in order that its Members may proceed to the Senate Chamber, where the Governor General or his or her deputy grants Royal Assent. Once a bill has been granted Royal Assent, it becomes law and comes into force either on that date or at a date provided for within the Act or specified by an order of the Governor in Council. Detailed Articles Acts of Parliament - formal process of statute creation Passed to Lords for similar procedure Royal Assent Manifesto All political parties have a manifesto, which is their promise to the electorate of the actions they will take and the laws they will pass if they become the government. It is these promises that persuade us to vote for a party. Some parties are single-issue parties, for example, the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) has one electoral promise and that is ï¿½...British withdrawal from the EU...ï¿½ The manifesto of the elected party that contains some of the legislation that is to be enacted during their term of office. Not all their promises become law, when they get into office they are supplied detailed information by senior civil servants and then discover that the reforms are not realistic, or too expensive.

Also, other laws will be enacted during a government's term of office because of unelected events, a war for example, or an unexpected ruling by the courts. This happened in 1996; the government were faced with a ruling by the House of Lords that an alleged fraud by a man called Preddy was not unlawful, the case was R v Preddy [1996], and led to the Theft (Amendment) Act 1996. Queenï¿½s Speech The Queen's Speech at the State Opening of Parliament, in November announces the main Bills constituting the Government's legislative programme. The government actually writes the speech. The Queen in her speech refers to ï¿½My governmentï¿½, which constitutionally is true; the party that has the most members of Parliament in an election forms the government on her request. Government departments are responsible for starting legislation that is within their field of work, for example the Home Office is responsible for law and order and prepares legislation affecting the police. The civil servants in the departments prepare the draft ideas for the minister of government who is responsible for that department. At this stage, there may be some consultation by the government who may ask interested groups what their opinions are.

Green Paper Green Papers - or Command Papers to give them their correct title - are actually printed on white paper, and are tentative proposals issued by the appropriate Government Minister, they are consultation papers that, set out government proposals, which are still taking shape and seek comments from the public. There is no actual requirement for there to be a White or Green Paper before a Bill is introduced into Parliament. The importance of consultation was seen when Prime Minister Blair, as part of a cabinet reshuffle attempted to abolish the role of the Lord Chancellor, without first consulting anyone. However, this could not happen without first dealing with over 500 statutes that referred to functions of the Lord Chancellor. White Paper Following the Green Paper, the Government will present to Parliament a ï¿½White Paperï¿½ which is a statement of policy and contains definite proposals for legislation and this is often published at the same time as the relevant bill. Some White Papers - or Command Papers to give them their correct title - are consultation documents on these firm proposals. The consultation or discussion is with interested parties such as professional bodies, voluntary organisations and pressure groups. Private individuals may also respond to White Papers.

Drafting After consultation is completed highly skilled lawyers called Parliamentary Counsel (Draftsmen) will draft a bill. The process is called drafting; the Bill is then ready for scrutiny (careful examination) by both houses. A Cabinet Committee, made up of senior government ministers called the Legislation Committee, controls the legislative programme for example deciding which bills will be dropped if they run out of Parliamentary time. Bills In order to become an Act of Parliament, a Bill must be passed by both Houses of Parliament and receive Royal Assent. Acts of Parliament consist of the following main elementsï¿½ the Short Title ï¿½ e.g. "House of Lords Act 1999"; the Long Title ï¿½ e.g. "An Act to restrict membership of the House of Lords by virtue of a hereditary peerage; to make related provision about disqualifications for voting at elections to, and for membership of, the House of Commons; and for connected purposes." The long title describes the contents of the Act; the sections ï¿½ which contain the main provisions of the Act; the Schedules ï¿½ which contain further provisions of the Act, often of a more technical nature than those in the sections.

Bills contain the same elements, but ï¿½sectionsï¿½ of Bills are called ï¿½clausesï¿½ (although, somewhat perversely, divisions of clauses are called ï¿½subsectionsï¿½). The start and finish of the process are formalities. The first reading of a Public Bill is a formality; Royal Assent is a formality. Public Bills can be introduced into either the House of Commons or the House of Lords. Types of Bill Public Bills Most Bills are Public Bills that change the general law. The majority of Public Bills that become Acts of Parliament are introduced by a government minister and are known as government Bills. Private Members' Bills There are four types of these private Membersï¿½ bills. Few Private Members' Bills become laws; many are not even debated in the Commons. (1) Ballot In the Commons early in each session backbench MPs hold a ballot for the opportunity to introduce a Bill. This takes place on one of the Fridays during the session when such Bills have precedence over government business. No longer do MPs queue up behind the Speaker's Chair and draw names out of a hat. The ballot itself is done on a computer and is a purely random process.

The first 20 MPs whose names are drawn win this privilege. The ten Members placed highest in the ballot may claim up to ï¿½200 expenses in drafting their bills. The figure was fixed in 1971 and has never been revised. (A similar ballot exists for choosing MPs to ask questions at Prime Minister's Question Time each Wednesday). (2) Ten Minute Rule Bill On most Tuesdays and Wednesdays when the Commons is sitting, an MP may seek to introduce a Bill under the 'ten minute rule'. This allows the proposer to make a brief speech in favour and an objector to speak briefly against it. This process is often used more as a way of making a point about the need to change the law on a particular matter rather than a serious attempt at legislation. The Bail (Amendment) Act 1993 was introduced in Parliament using this procedure; the Act gives the prosecution the right to appeal against the granting of bail. Other Private Members bills are: (3) Presentation bills. (4) Private Membersï¿½ bills brought from the Lords. Successful Private Members Bills Some Bills tend to concern controversial subjects, upon which a Member or group of Members feel strongly.

If any Member shouts "Object!" when the title of a bill is read, the second reading is adjourned, even if all the other Members should be in favour of the bill. The following Bills were introduced as Private Members Bills and became Acts of Parliament. Leo Abse: Sexual Offences Bill 1967 - legalised gay sex. Sidney Silverman: Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Bill 1965 - Abolished Hanging: David Steel: Abortion Bill 1967 - legalised abortion in some circumstances. Janet Anderson: Protection From Harassment Bill 1997 ï¿½ outlawed stalking Stephen McCabe: Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Deceased Fathers) Bill 2003 - This Act contains provisions relating to the circumstances in which a man is treated in law as the father of a child where the child has resulted from certain fertility treatment undertaken after the man's death. This Act follows a High Court ruling that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Diane Blood, who wanted the right to have her late partner legally recognised as the father of her children (born from his frozen sperm after his death) on their birth certificates, had brought the case. This Act amends the 1990 Act to ensure that domestic law complies with both the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act). Michael Foster: Wild Mammals (Hunting with Dogs) Bill was one of five Private Members Bills on the subject of hunting; it was defeated in the House of Lords. Eventually the government sponsored a Bill to honour its manifesto pledge to stop foxhunting. Private Bills Private Bills should not be confused with Private Members Bills. Private Bills are available to local authorities, universities or companies. The enable them to obtain powers for themselves in excess of, or in conflict with, the general law. Private Bills affect the interests of individuals, or particular localities, and do not involve matters of public policy for example various Railway Acts have dominated the lists of private Acts, but the Transport and Works Act 1992 has provided an alternative method of gaining the special powers and permissions they need. The Bills are proposals for legislation affecting the powers of particular bodies, such as local authorities, or the rights of individuals.

These are subject to a special form of parliamentary procedure. There are only a few private bills in each session. Unlike Public Bills, Private Bills may be carried over from one session to the next. Personal Private Bills Personal private bills are very rare nowadays, an interesting example is the George Donald Evans and Deborah Jane Evans (Marriage Enabling) Act 1987 which allowed a marriage outside ï¿½permitted degreesï¿½. Personal Bills always start in the Lords. [ B and L v UK [2005] ECtHR on the same "permitted degrees" issue led to a Remedial Order changing the Marriage Act to allow such marriages (2006 order here )] Hybrid bills Hybrid bills are Public Bills that may affect the specific private rights of people or bodies. They are generally introduced by the Government, but are fairly rare. An example is the Bill that became the Channel Tunnel Act 1987, which enabled the construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link to proceed. This massive engineering undertaking required compulsory purchase provisions to buy land and houses that were in the path of the railway. As with Private Bills, the passage of such Bills through Parliament is governed by special procedures, which allow those affected to put their case.

First Reading The First Reading of a Bill is a formality, which involves a member reading the title of the Bill; the First Reading takes place without debate. The First Reading is essentially an announcement that the bill has been introduced. Soon after the first reading copies of the bill published are available for members to read, they are also made available on the Parliament website. There is a vote as to whether or not the Bill should continue usually by members shouting ï¿½Aye!ï¿½ or ï¿½No!ï¿½. If there is a clear ï¿½Aye!ï¿½, then there is no formal vote and the Bill proceeds to its next stage, which is the Second Reading, and this usually takes place some weeks or months later. Voting If the Commons take a vote, the Members leave the chamber and walk past one of two ï¿½tellersï¿½, who physically count each member who walks past. Second reading The Second Reading provides the first real occasion for debate on the general principles of a Bill; detailed discussion takes place during the committee stage.

In the Commons, the Opposition will usually decide to vote against a Government Bill on its second reading, or to move an amendment to the motion that the Bill is read a second time - unless the Bill is non-controversial. On second reading debates, a government minister (often the senior minister) in the department responsible for the measure normally proposes the Bill. He or she outlines the main principles of the Bill and summarises the most important clauses. The official Opposition spokesperson then responds and during the debate the views of other Opposition parties and backbenchers is heard. The debate normally concludes with a response from another government minister and he or she deals with some of the major points raised in the debate. If the House votes against the Bill at second reading, the Bill can progress no further, but this virtually never happens. Traditionally, the Second Reading was always taken on the floor of the House, but in recent years, some uncontroversial bills (e.g. Law Commission measures) have been referred to a Second Reading Committee; the House then accepts the Committee's report and passes a Second Reading motion without a formal debate.

The effect of Pepper v Hart Following Pepper v Hart [1993] HL the legislature needs to indicate what the purpose of the legislation is, and to clarify the meaning of any provisions that may be ambiguous. Committee stage House of Commons (Standing Committees, renamed General Committees since 2006) When a Bill has passed its second reading in the House of Commons, it is usually referred to a General Committee ï¿½upstairsï¿½ for detailed examination. The committee consists of from 16 to 50 Mps, but usually only about 18. The Committee examines the clauses of the Bill line by line and detailed amendments are considered. The Billï¿½s opponents, seeking to emasculate or destroy it, propose some amendments but many are technical improvements and clarifications proposed by the government itself. Occasionally a Bill may be referred to the whole House, sitting in committee, for example, Bills of great constitutional importance or a Finance Bill. At the committee stage, MPs study the Bill in depth, dealing with each clause in turn, line by line. Whilst individual provisions may be altered, the main principle of the Bill is preserved.

MPs are often 'briefed' by interest groups who wish to see amendments favouring their position. Rarely, the committee stage is held on the floor of the Commons, this happened in 2010 when the new Coalition government wished to pass a bill to allow schools to become academies. This process was criticised as it is normally used only for constitutional matters and matters of extreme urgency, for example terrorism. Committee stage House of Lords In the House of Lords, there are no second reading committees or standing committees. Bills normally go through the committee stage in a Committee of the whole House, although a few Bills are committed to committees of various kinds off the floor of the House. Report stage Any amendments made during the committee stage must be approved (or rejected) by the whole house during the report state. The report stage is a detailed debate where further amendments may be moved. This occurs on the Floor of the House (which means the main chamber) further amendments are discussed and made. In practice, it is very similar to the committee stage, but only amendments and not the clauses of a Bill are discussed. All members may speak and vote. Third reading The third reading a Bill often follows on immediately after the report stage.

It is generally quite short ï¿½ unless it is of constitutional importance - and the bill is reviewed in its final form including amendments made at earlier stages. Substantive amendments cannot be made at this stage to a Bill in the Commons. Then the final version of the bill is approved and passed by hand - bound in green ribbon - to the Lords, when the Lords return the bill it is bound in red ribbon. In the House of Lords, broadly the same procedure is followed. One difference is the committee stage, which is normally a committee of the whole House of Lords and amendments can be made at Third Reading as well as at Committee and Report. If the House of Lords amend the Bill, it must be sent back to the Commons for Commonsï¿½ approval because both Houses must agree on the wording of the Bill. Passage through the Lords After passing its third reading a Bill is sent to the House of Lords. The role of the House of Lords is to act as a check on the Governmentï¿½s power. The passage through the second House is not a formality, and Bills can be further amended.

The Commons have certain contempt for the Lords and refer to it, not as the House of Lords, but ï¿½another placeï¿½. Financial legislation is not scrutinised in detail by the Lords. The Commons must agree amendments made by the Lords, or a compromise agreement reached, such that both Houses have agreed the same text, before a Bill can receive Royal Assent. The Lords do not generally prevent Bills from the Commons becoming law, although they will often amend them and return them for further consideration by the Commons. The assent of the Lords is not essential, subject to certain conditions, in the case of fiscal (money Bills). Bills dealing solely with taxation or expenditure must become law within one month of being sent to the Lords. A Bill can start in Lords A Bill can start in the Lords, but usually this procedure is reserved for non-controversial matters, or because it is the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor, e.g. Human Rights Act 1998 started in the Lords. Most Government Bills introduced and passed in the Lords pass through the Commons without difficulty, but a Bill from the Lords, which proved unacceptable to the Commons, would not become law.

If, after the process of considering amendments, it proves impossible to reach agreement on a non-financial Bill, then the Bill may be lost. Government (political) Bills start in the Commons. Bills of a less party-political nature often go to the Lords first. Bills with a mainly financial purpose are always introduced in the Commons, because a government minister in the Commons must introduce new taxation or public spending. Programme and Guillotine Motions These are devices for ensuring speedy and timely progress of a Bill through the various stages. The Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 After many clashes between the Lords and the Commons, matters came to a head in 1909 when the Lords rejected a Finance Bill. This led to the Parliament Act 1911, which was only passed by the Lords after a threat from the Commons that they would create several hundred new peers to ensure its safe passage. By this Act, the Lords cannot reject a Bill, which the Speaker of the House of Commons has certified as a ï¿½Money Billï¿½.

The Parliament Act 1949 further reduced the delaying power of the Lords, so the position now is that the Lords can only delay a Bill for about two years. In some circumstances, the Commons can present a Bill for Royal Assent after one year, even if the Lords object. The Parliament Acts have only been used on the following occasions: Government of Ireland Act 1914 Welsh Church Act 1914 Parliament Act 1949 War Crimes Act 1991 (the first time the Conservatives used the Acts) to prosecute war criminals who were not UK subjects at the time of the offence. European parliamentary Elections Act 1999 (having party list not individual candidates for EU elections) Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000 (reducing the age of consent for gay sex to 16) Salisbury-Addison Conventions If a provision is in Governmentï¿½s manifesto, the Salisbury Conventions holds that the Lords should not oppose legislation to implement the provision. The reason is that the peers recognise that they are unelected and are said to have no ï¿½democratic mandateï¿½.

An example was the rejection by the Lords of the Government's plans to repeal Section 2A of the Local Government Act 1986 (previously this was Section 28). Section 28, which has now been repealed by Sec 122 Local Government Act 2003, banned local authorities from promoting the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship. Passing an Act of Parliament is a lengthy procedure involving considerable scrutiny and debate Rapid procedure However, emergency legislation can be processed quickly (e.g. Football (Disorder) Act 2000). A government with a secure majority can ensure its legislation passes, sometimes regardless of doubts as to its effectiveness (e.g. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 ). It is generally agreed that legislation made in haste can result in problems. For example, terrorists were able to avoid having their photographs and DNA taken because of faulty (hasty) drafting of legislation, press report here . The most rapid passing of a Bill is probably the Northern Ireland Act 1972, which took only seven hours and eleven minutes to reverse the effects of a court decision that undermined the powers of the armed forces in Northern Ireland. More detail here .

Royal Assent When a Bill has been passed in identical terms in both Houses, it is presented for the Royal Assent. This is a formality marking the Bill's official passage into law. The titles of Bills to be approved are read in both Houses, and then Royal Assent is achieved by quaint ceremony in the Lords. The Clerk of the Parliaments turns towards the Commons and pronounces, in Norman French the formula, "La Raine (or Le Roy) le veult" (the Queen wishes it), pronounced "a wren le vurlt". Royal Assent has not been refused since Queen Anne refused it for a Bill to raise an army to sort disorder in Scotland (Scottish Militia Bill) on 11 March 1708, this was the last occasion on which it has proved necessary to use the ominous formula "La Raine (or LeRoy) sï¿½avisera." (The Queen will consider it). A popular misconception is that Bills are or were signed by the Sovereign in fact this has seldom happened, certainly not since the 16th Century. Between 1603 and 1849, the monarch signed no Bills at all.

Before 1603, the Sovereign only sometimes signed the Acts. Royal Assent has, however been given in person, but since Queen Victoria, faced by a greater avalanche of legislation than any of her predecessors, was clearly unwilling to make frequent visits to Parliament, she eventually ceased to attend to give Royal Assents. Unless a Bill is urgent it is kept waiting until a number of Bills are ready for Royal Assent. The last occasion the Sovereign was present at the passing of an Act was 1854. What are signed are either Letters Patent which allows the Speaker of the Commons and the Lords (the Lord Chancellor) to announce that the Queen has given her assent, or she signs a Commission which commands the Royal Commissioners to announce Royal Assent. After Royal Assent, a Bill becomes part of the law of the land. It is then known as an Act of Parliament. Another misconception is the existence of ï¿½the statute bookï¿½; it is true that there are statute books of antiquity, but the expression simply means it becomes the law; there is no ï¿½statute bookï¿½.

Commencement of an Act Once a Bill has passed all the stages it becomes an Act of Parliament on the day appointed by the Bill. However, it has become the practice to allow the minister responsible for the Bill to decide the day a Bill becomes an Act. For example, the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 did not become effective until 1986; this allowed police forces to train officers in its provisions. Similarly, the Human Rights Act 1988 did not take effect until 2000, again to allow the training of those who were going to implement it and the appointment of new judges in the High Court who were expected to deal with problems by way of ï¿½Declarations of Incompatibilityï¿½ . The Easter Act 1928 has never been brought into effect, but it remains an Act of Parliament. Senate of Canada - Fact Sheet - The Senate and legislation Home > About the Senate > The Senate and Legislation The Senate and Legislation The Parliament of Canada examines legislation in a wide variety of areas in the form of bills.

There are two types of bills: Public bills, which deal with public policy; and Private bills, which convey special rights or powers on a particular individual or a specific group. Most bills considered by Parliament are public bills. While bills can be introduced either in the Senate (in which case their number is preceded by the letter S) or in the House of Commons (in which case their number is preceded by the letter C), the Senate cannot initiate money bills (i.e. bills imposing taxes or providing for the collection or spending of public money). Bills can be introduced either by the Government (i.e. a Cabinet minister) or by private members (i.e. a senator or a member of the House of Commons). All bills must be considered and passed by both the Senate and the House of Commons before receiving Royal Assent from the Governor General, the final step in a bill’s passage into law. Passing Bills in the Senate Passing bills in the Senate is similar to passing them in the House of Commons. There are five steps: First reading 1 The Senate receives the bill, and it is printed and circulated among senators. This is an introductory proceeding in the Senate Chamber and takes place without debate or vote.

Second reading Senators debate the principle of the bill in the Chamber: Is the bill good policy? To help with this process, the Senate may refer the subject matter of the bill to a Senate committee for closer examination before voting on whether to proceed with it. Committee stage The Senate refers the bill to one of its committees. The committee may invite Cabinet ministers, Government officials, experts, and members of the public who have an interest in the bill to share information and perspectives in public hearings. Committee members then study the bill clause by clause. Members of the committee may propose changes to the bill (known as amendments) during this process. After it has completed the clause-by-clause analysis, the committee adopts a report on the bill. The report will recommend to the Senate that the bill be accepted as is; that it be accepted with amendments; or that it be rejected. Committees often also append observations to their report. These comments may highlight issues raised by the committee’s study of the bill. Report stage If the committee’s report recommends adopting the bill as is (i.e., with no amendments), there is no report stage in the Senate and the bill goes directly to third reading.

If, however, the report suggests amendments to the bill, senators must debate the report in the Senate Chamber and either accept, amend, or reject the amendments, in whole or in part. Third reading This is the final stage of debate in the Chamber. Senators may propose further amendments at this stage before voting to pass or reject the bill. If the bill was introduced in the Senate, it is sent to the House of Commons, which will examine it in a similar three-reading process. If the bill was introduced in the House of Commons and was not amended in the Senate, it is now ready for Royal Assent. If a bill introduced in the House of Commons and was amended in the Senate, a message about the amendments is sent to the Commons, asking for their agreement. If the Senate and the House of Commons do not agree on the contents of a bill, they may propose amendments until they reach agreement. Once the two Houses agree on a final version, the bill is granted Royal Assent by the Queen or one of her Canadian representatives (usually the Governor General or a deputy), making it law. 1 “Reading” is the term used for a stage in the consideration of a bill in a House of Parliament.

It is a holdover from the early days of the parliamentary tradition in Britain before mass reproduction was available. A clerk would read the bill aloud to those assembled in the Chamber: hence the term “reading.” Today, of course, printed copies of bills are circulated and the bill number, and sometimes title, is all that is read aloud. Legislative process: taking a Bill through Parliament - GOV.UK GOV.UK Legislative process: taking a Bill through Parliament From: An overview of the process by which Bills become law. Contents Royal Assent and beyond A Bill is a proposed law which is introduced into Parliament. Once a Bill has been debated and then approved by each House of Parliament, and has received Royal Assent, it becomes law and is known as an Act. Any Member of Parliament can introduce a Bill. Some Bills represent agreed government policy, and these are introduced into Parliament by ministers. Other Bills are known as Private Member’s Bills, or (in the House of Lords) private peer’s Bills. This guide is about Bills which affect the general law of the land. Special Parliamentary procedures apply to Bills which apply only to particular people or places, and the government has little or no involvement in this type of legislation.

Bills and Acts are often referred to as primary legislation. An Act may delegate power to a government minister to make orders, regulations or rules. These are known as secondary (or subordinate) legislation. Legislation can be found online at legislation.gov.uk . The decision to legislate For each session of Parliament, the government will have a legislative programme, which is a plan of the Bills that it will ask Parliament to consider in that session (the period between elections is divided up into sessions, and each of those sessions lasts about a year). Other Bills may be passed each session that are not part of the legislative programme. These may for example be emergency Bills required to deal with a particular issue that has arisen, or they may be private member’s Bills, introduced by a member who is not a part of the government. If a government department has a proposal for a Bill that it wants to be included in the legislative programme for a session, it must submit a bid for the Bill to the Parliamentary Business and Legislation (PBL) Committee of the Cabinet. The bid will usually be needed about a year before the beginning of the session in question. PBL Committee will consider all of the bids for that session and make a recommendation to Cabinet about the provisional content of the programme.

In considering whether to recommend that a Bill should be given a provisional slot, PBL Committee will consider factors such as the need for the Bill (and whether a similar outcome can be achieved without legislation), its relationship to the political priorities of the Government, the progress that has been made in working up the proposals for the Bill and whether the Bill has been published in draft for consultation. Once the provisional programme has been agreed by Cabinet, PBL Committee will review it in the lead-up to the beginning of the session. About a month before the start of the session the Cabinet will finalise the programme. This will be announced in the Queen’s Speech at the state opening of Parliament, which begins the session. The policy contained in the Bill will also need agreement from the appropriate policy committee of the Cabinet. Preparation of the Bill If a Bill is given a slot in the legislative programme, the department concerned will create a Bill team to co-ordinate its preparation and passage through Parliament. This will consist of a Bill manager and other officials working on the Bill. The other key players in the department will be the officials with lead responsibility for the policies in the Bill and the department’s legal advisers. The policy officials will prepare policy instructions for the departmental lawyers.

These instructions will in turn form the basis of instructions to the Office of Parliamentary Counsel to draft the Bill. Instructions to counsel will set out the background and relevant current law and explain the changes in the law to be brought about by the Bill. There will usually be at least two counsel assigned to the Bill, and larger Bills may well have more drafters. They will analyse the instructions and may have questions that need to be answered before drafting can begin. Once the drafters feel they have a clear idea of the policy, they will send drafts to the relevant departmental lawyer. The lawyer will discuss the drafts with the relevant policy officials and send comments back. The first draft of a clause or set of clauses for a topic is rarely the final word on that topic, and the process of drafting and commenting on drafts will continue until the drafters and the department are happy that the right result has been achieved by the draft in the clearest possible way. Some provisions in a Bill may require the agreement of a department other than the one sponsoring the Bill. For example, the Ministry of Justice’s criminal offences gateway requires all proposals for the creation of new offences in England and Wales to be cleared by the Secretary of State for Justice.

If the provisions of the Bill apply to Wales or extend to Scotland or Northern Ireland, it may be necessary for the department or the drafter to consult the devolved administration in the relevant part of the UK. Provisions in a Bill which relate to matters that have been devolved to the National Assembly for Wales, the Scottish Parliament or the Northern Ireland Assembly will usually need the consent of that body. Towards introduction Although a Bill may have a slot in the legislative programme, it cannot be introduced until it has been specifically cleared for introduction by a meeting of PBL Committee. The Committee will consider the final (or near-final) draft of the Bill together with a range of other documents. Some of these, like the Explanatory Notes, will be published alongside the Bill after introduction. Others, like the department’s Parliamentary Handling Strategy and its assessment of the relationship between the Bill and the European Convention on Human Rights, are for the Committee’s consideration only. If PBL Committee is satisfied that the Bill is ready and that other legal and procedural issues have been resolved, it will approve its introduction subject to any necessary minor and drafting changes. The Committee will also decide whether the Bill should start in the House of Commons or the House of Lords (see further below).

Some Bills are published in draft for consultation before introduction. The Bill may then go through a process of pre-legislative scrutiny where it is considered by a Parliamentary committee or committees. The committee will take evidence and make recommendations to the Government on the Bill. These recommendations, together with the consultation responses from members of the public, may mean that elements of the Bill are modified before introduction. Publication of a Bill in draft still needs the agreement of PBL Committee, although it will normally be cleared by correspondence rather than at a meeting. Parliamentary Stages Most Bills can begin either in the House of Commons or in the House of Lords. The Government will make this decision based on the need to make sure each House has a balanced programme of legislation to consider each session. However, certain Bills must start in the Commons, such as a Bill whose main aim is the imposition of taxation (the annual Finance Bill is an example of this). Bills of major constitutional importance also conventionally start in the Commons. Most Bills will need to go through the following stages in each House before becoming law (what is said below applies to either House except where indicated). First reading This is a purely formal stage, and there is no debate on the Bill.

Second reading This is a debate on the main principles of the Bill, held in the chamber. A Government minister will open the debate by setting out the case for the Bill and explaining its provisions. The Opposition will respond and then other members are free to discuss it. The Government will close the debate by responding to the points made. No amendments can be made to the text of the Bill at this stage, although members may give an idea of the changes they will be proposing at later stages. At the end of the debate the House will vote on the Bill. If the vote is lost by the Government, the Bill cannot proceed any further, though it is rare for a Government Bill to be defeated at this stage. Committee stage This is a line-by-line consideration of the detail of the Bill. In the Commons this process may be carried out by a specially convened committee of MPs (a Public Bill Committee) that reflects the strength of the parties in the House as a whole. Alternatively committee stage may be taken in the chamber (in which case it is called Committee of the Whole House). In the Lords the committee stage will take place in the chamber or elsewhere in the Palace of Westminster; either way any peer can participate.

A Public Bill Committee in the Commons can take oral and written evidence on the Bill. In either House the Committee will decide whether each clause of the Bill should remain in it, and will consider any amendments tabled by the Government or other members. The amendments tabled may propose changes to the existing provisions of the Bill or may involve adding wholly new material. However, there are limits to what can be added to a particular Bill, as the amendments must be sufficiently close to its subject matter when introduced. Government amendments to Bills (in Committee or at other stages: see below) may be changes to make sure the Bill works as intended, may give effect to new policy or may be concessionary amendments to ease the handling of the Bill. Amendments in the last category will respond to points made at an earlier stage or will have been tabled to avoid a Government defeat at the stage in question. Unless the amendments are purely technical in their effect, they will need the agreement of PBL Committee before tabling, and substantial changes in policy will need policy clearance too. Report stage In both Houses this stage takes place in the chamber. Only amendments are discussed, so if none are tabled this will be a purely formal stage.

As in Committee the amendments may change what is in the Bill already or may involve new provisions being added. Report stage is also referred to as Consideration in the Commons. Third reading In the Commons this is another general discussion of the Bill which invariably takes place immediately after Report. No amendments are possible. In the Lords, Third Reading will take place on a later day, and tidying up amendments can be tabled. Later stages Both Houses must agree on the text of a Bill before it can become an Act. This means that if the Bill is amended in the second House, it must return to the first House for those amendments to be considered. The first House can reject the amendments, make changes to them or suggest alternatives. A Bill may move backwards and forwards between the two Houses before agreement is reached, so this stage is sometimes called “ping pong”. The time taken to go through all these stages depends on the length of the Bill, how controversial it is and whether it needs to be passed particularly quickly. An emergency Bill may be passed in a matter of days, whereas a larger Bill may be introduced at the beginning of the session and only passed at the end a year later.

Royal Assent and beyond A Bill that has been passed by both Houses becomes law once it has been given Royal Assent and this has been signified to Parliament. It will then become an Act. Even then the Act may not have any practical effect until later on. Most provisions in an Act will either come into operation within a set period after Royal Assent (commonly two months later) or at a time fixed by the government. This gives the government and those people who are directly affected by the Act time to plan accordingly. The government may need to fill in some of the details of the new scheme by making orders or regulations under powers contained in the Act, for example to deal with procedural matters. Three to five years after a Bill has been passed, the department responsible for an Act will normally review how it has worked in practice and submit an assessment of this to the relevant Commons departmental committee. The committee will then decide whether it wants to carry out a fuller post-legislative enquiry into the Act. Bills – The Canadian Legal Research and Writing Guide The origin of new legislation There are three different types of bills. New legislation sponsored by the government, known as a government bill, originates in government ministries.

New legislation can also originate from a bill sponsored by a member of the legislature, known as a member’s bill. New legislation can originate from an initiative by private parties, known as a private bill. These readings are concerned with government bills. The Cabinet minister sponsoring a bill consults with interested parties, studies the policy issues and considers the economic and social impact of the proposed legislation. Sometimes discussion papers are released to promote public consultation. The documents prepared during this initial stage can be important in determining the policy behind any legislation that is eventually introduced. Following study and consultation, a legislative proposal goes through the following steps before it is presented in Parliament: The Cabinet minister presents a legislative proposal to Cabinet. If Cabinet approves the proposal, legislative counsel prepare a bill. Once the minister and legislative counsel are satisfied with the bill, it is submitted to Cabinet. If approved by Cabinet, the bill is printed and proceeds to 1st reading in Parliament. Readings in the Legislature Federal legislation must pass three readings in both the House of Commons and the Senate before it is passed into law. Federal legislation is usually introduced first in the House of Commons, but it can originate in the Senate.

First Reading in the House of Commons Second Reading in the House of Commons Commons Committee Third Reading in the Senate Royal Assent First reading The first reading occurs on the day the legislation is introduced. The sponsoring Cabinet minister will briefly introduce the bill in the legislature. There is no debate. Sometimes the bill is sent to committee for study at this stage. The first reading version of the bill may contain explanatory notes. Some law libraries receive first reading bills in print form, but many rely on the electronic version posted on the Internet. Legisinfo is an excellent Internet site for obtaining copies of federal bills and also for tracking the progress of a bill and obtaining important information about the bill such as background papers and Hansard debates. For older sessions of Parliament (pre-1994 for the House of Commons, and pre-1996 for the Senate) Hansard is available from Historical Debates of the Parliament of Canada . Second reading During second reading, the sponsoring Cabinet minister explains the purpose of the bill, and debate takes place on the main principles of the bill. Speeches in the legislature by the Minister sponsoring the legislation can be important in determining the intention behind the legislation.

The proceedings of the House of Commons and the Senate are recorded in Hansard, and are available from Legisinfo . They are also available in print form in law libraries. After the bill has passed second reading, it is sent to a parliamentary committee for detailed consideration on a clause by clause basis. This can be a legislative committee, a standing committee, or a Committee of the Whole House. The committee can receive briefs or hear witnesses. Amendments to the bill can be proposed at this stage. See Parliamentary Internet for detailed information about parliamentary committees. Links to committee reports and proceedings are included in the Legisinfo profile for a bill. The committee reports on the bill to the legislative body in which the bill originated, and any amendments made to the bill are voted on by that legislative body. If the bill has been amended, it is reprinted prior to third reading. You may want to review a transcript or report of a committee’s proceedings to find why a bill was amended. In addition to being available through Legisinfo , proceedings and reports of parliamentary committees are also available in print in some law libraries. Third reading The final version of the bill is circulated for third reading. There is often no debate at this stage.

Third reading versions of bills are available through Legisinfo . Passage by the other House Federal bills must be passed by both the House of Commons and the Senate. So the three readings described above must be repeated for the second legislative body. If the second legislative body amends the bill, it cannot become law without the agreement of the originating body to the amendments. If the originating body will not agree, representatives of both Houses will try to reach a compromise. If no compromise can be reached, the legislation cannot become law. Royal assent and coming into force After the bill passes third reading in both Houses, it receives royal assent from the Governor Governor, the Queen’s representative. At that time it is assigned a chapter number. As soon as practicable after the bill has received royal assent, it is published in the Canada Gazette , Part III. As of April 1, 2003, the Internet version of the Canada Gazette has official status equivalent to that of the print version. Eventually, the government publishes hard cover volumes containing all legislation passed in a particular year. The third reading versions of any legislation passed in that year will be included. These volumes are referred to as sessional volumes .

If the bill is silent on how and when it comes into force, then it comes into force immediately on receiving royal assent. If the bill indicates that it is to come into force in some other way, then it does not come into force on royal assent. See section 5 of the Interpretation Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. I-21. A common way for a bill to come into force is by regulation. This means that the bill does not come into force until the Governor in Council (in other words, Cabinet) issues an order in council proclaiming the legislation into force. Legisinfo contains in force information for federal bills. Other print sources of proclamation information are the Canada Statute Citator and the Table of Public Statutes . Once you have found a reference to an order in council, you may want to find a copy of the order itself. To do this, you must go to the Canada Gazette , Part II. Current print issues are in pamphlet format. Older issues are usually bound by year and contain an index. Go to the volume for the year of the regulation, and look it up by number.

Ascertaining the status of a bill There are various ways to ascertain the status of a bill and to obtain references to the documents arising out of the legislative process. Electronic sources for obtaining this type of information include: Canadian Legislative Pulse published by CCH. Citing a bill The proper format for citing a federal bill includes the bill number, the name of the bill, the legislative session, and the year. Bill C-28, Pearson International Airport Agreements Act, 2nd Session, 35th Parliament, 1996. Third reading (Lords) - UK Parliament Third reading (Lords) Bill starting in the House of Lords House of Lords Royal Assent What is third reading? Third reading in the Lords is the chance for members to ‘tidy up’ a bill, concentrating on making sure the eventual law is effective and workable – without loopholes. Before third reading takes place Before third reading, amendments (changes) are gathered together and placed in order, then published in the ‘marshalled list’. What happens at third reading? Unlike the House of Commons, amendments can be made at third reading in the House of Lords, provided the issue has not been fully considered and voted on during either committee or report stage.

Amendments at third reading are often used to clarify specific parts of the bill and to allow the government to make good any promises of changes they made at earlier stages of the passage of a bill. What happens after third reading? If the bill started in the Lords, it goes to the House of Commons for its first reading. The Commons reprints the bill with the Lords amendments. If the bill began in the Commons, it is sent back after third reading in the Lords for consideration of Lords amendments, or, if there have been no amendments in the Lords, is sent to the monarch for royal assent. This page requires the latest version of the Flash plugin and JavaScript to be enabled. You can download the latest version of Flash for free from adobe.com/go/getflashplayer

Question: In the passing of a government bill, which stage follows the third reading?
Answer: Royal Assent