Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949

The 1911 Act

The Parliament Act of 1911 was designed to restrict the power of the House of Lords in blocking legislation.
This came after a constitutional crisis when the Lords refused to pass the People’s Budget proposed by the Liberal government.
Significant aspects of the Act included the removal of the power of the Lords to veto money bills.
The Act also reduced the power of the Lords to veto other types of bills, instead allowing them to delay bills for two sessions of parliament, or up to one year.

The 1949 Act

The Parliament Act of 1949 further limited the powers of the House of Lords.
The Act was passed under the provisions of the 1911 Act, and it reduced the time that the Lords could delay bills to just two sessions of parliament, or one year.
This time reduction effectively removed the ability of the Lords to block legislation, enhancing the authority of the House of Commons.

Significance and Impact

The Parliament Acts are significant as they confirmed the supremacy of the House of Commons over the House of Lords.
They limited the ability of the Lords to reject legislation, ensuring that the democratic part of Parliament had the final say on most matters.
Today, the Parliament Acts are rarely used, but their existence serves to prevent the Lords from exercising a veto on important legislation.

Remember: The Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949 were central to shaping the modern British parliamentary system and establishing the constitutional principle of the supremacy of the House of Commons.