I was asked in an earlier post whether peers have their favourite places in the chamber. Some benches are designated for particular groups of members – frontbenchers, bishops, privy counsellors – but otherwise back-benchers can sit where they choose. Members tend to gravitate towards a favoured spot. One cannot reserve a seat – it is first…
Second chambers are remarkable for a number of reasons. Most countries don’t have one, though they are common in federal states and Western nations. Though a minority taste, and often controversial, they can serve useful purposes and a number of developing countries and new democracies have established, or are considering establishing, them. The proposal for…
The Joint Committee on the Draft Constitutional Renewal Bill completed work on the draft Bill last Tuesday – the last day of sitting prior to the summer recess. Though the recommended period is a minimum of three months for a committee to engage in pre-legislative scrutiny, we had under three months to examine what constitutes five…
In 1994, in conjunction with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, I organised a Workshop of Parliamentary Scholars and Parliamentarians, designed to enable academics to present research findings likely to be of practical interest to parliamentarians. Held at the Berlin Science Centre, it drew scholars and members of parliaments from around the globe. It was extremely productive and so has become…
The Palace of Westminster is a mock gothic building completed in the 1850s. It was regarded as an architectural masterpiece of its day and its remains an awe-inspiring building. It is difficult for anyone working in it not to be impressed by it. Buildings tend to shape how an institution operates. Parliament would not be the…
