Making New Laws: Bills and Acts

Every year Parliament passes about a hundred laws directly, by making Acts of Parliament. Because this can be a long process, Parliament sometimes passes a very general law and leaves a minister to fill in the details.

No new law can be passed unless it has completed a number of stages in Bill the Royal Assent, which is now just a formality. Since 1707 no sovereign has refused a Bill. When a law is still going through Parliament it is called a Bill. There are two main types of Bills-Public Bills which deal with matters of public importance and Private Bills which deal with local matters and individuals.

Public and Private Bills are passed through Parliament in much the same way. When a. Bill is introduced in the House of Commons, it receives a formal first reading. It is then printed and read a second time, when it is debated but not amended, After the second reading the Bill is referred to a committee, either a special committee made up of certain members of the House, or to the House itself as a committee. Here it is discussed in derail and amended. The Bill is then presented for a third reading and is debated. If the Bill is passed by the Commons it goes to the Lords, and provided it is not rejected by them, it goes through the same procedure as in the Commons. After receiving the Royal Assent the Bill becomes an Act of Parliament.

Notes

complete, v заканчивать, завершать

refuse, v отказывать, отвергать

Royal Assent королевская санкция

II. Translate the second paragraph of the text.

III. Reading Comprehension. Check the comprehension of the text by choosing the right answer to the question:

1. How does Parliament pass any new law?

a) the House of Lords has to give a Bill the Royal Assent;

b) any new law has to complete a number of stages in the House of Commons and the House of Lords;

c) new laws are passed through House of Commons only.

2. What matters do Public Bills deal with?

a) with matters of public importance;