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parlimentary law making process - Coggle Diagram
parlimentary law making process
Influence Explanation Example
political parties manifesto Before a general election all political parties publish a list of the reforms they publish a list of reforms they would carry out if they were elected as the next government. This is called a manifesto and it is one of the ways that a party tries to get votes for them. An example of this is was when Tony Blairs labour government promised the 'bring rights home' in their manifesto and once elected, they passed the Human Rights act 1997 to bring the European convention of human rights into UK Law.
public opinion When there is strong opinion of the public about the change of a law, the government may bow down to such opinion. This is more likely to happen towards the end of a government term where there will be a general election soon Example includes EU referendum in 2016, the 2016 referendum was leave or remain. The leave result in 2016 showed that public opinion was in favour of leaving the EU which is why the government later left the European Union.
Media means the way in which information is supplied to the public, including television, newspapers, magazines or social media. Which pay a huge role in bringing public opinion to the governments attention. Snowdrop campaign following the Dunblane massacre where a gunman shot a teacher and students in a primary school in Scotland 1996, which led to a public inquiry called the Cullen report which resulted in the Firearms (amendment) Act 1997 banning handguns in the UK.
media
Pressure Groups These are groups that have a particular interest. They try to bring matters they are interested in to the attention of the general public and the government through campaigns. an example of a change bought by pressure groups to the law was when Stonewall campaigned for the repeal of s.28 of the Local Government Act 1988 which prevented schools from teaching about LGBTQ education as well as campaigning for a reduction in the age of homosexual acts in private to 16, which was changed in 2000.
Pressure group activity may make the government reconsider the law on certain areas. Some pressure groups focus on specific projects. They are called special interest groups; example of them are the Trades of Union Congress TUC and Confederation of British Industry CBI. The league against cruel sports campaigned for the banning of fox hunting with dogs, The Hunting Act 2004 was passed.
In 2007 strict laws against against smoking in public places were introduced because of public opinion and medical opinion, as well as the campaigns of ASH.
Lobbyists Some people try to persuade individual members of parliament to support their case, this is called lobbying. This is because members of the public can meet MPs in the lobbies (hallways) in the houses of parliament, especially the central lobby which is halfway between the house of Lords and House Of Commons. The usual form of lobbying is to persuade an MP to ask a question in the House of Commons so that the issue gets publicity. Lobbyists may also try to persuade an MP who has won a place in the ballot to promote a Bill on the issue that concerns the lobbyist.
Lobbying is also used by pressure groups to highlight their concerns, but most lobbying is done by professional lobbyists on behalf of business, trade associations and big charities. This type of lobbying can have a significant influence over legislatio, such as lobbyists working for the finance companies and banks who will have close links and power over the conservative MPs.
Other sources include:
· EU Law – such as the Consumer Protection Act 1987 which was passed to comply with an EU Directive
· Private Member’s Bills – this is when an individual MP introduces a new law, which happened with the Abortion Act 1967 (David Steel) and the Computer Misuse Act 1990 (Michael Colvin)
· The Law Commission – this is an independent body who review changes that are needed to the law
· Emergency Situations – such as the introduction of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Securities Act 2001 following the 9/11 terror attacks
Political Influences
manifesto informs public and outlines what priorities stand for.
-it shows what the government will do
-the winning party will have a majority in the Commons so they should be able to enact new laws.
-parties don’t always keep their promises and what they first propose
-it is a big document therefore the public many not bother to read it all
-new parties can repeal old laws
-small majorities or coalitions may not reflect the wishes of the whole country
Public Opinion / The Media
-fastest way of spreading news
-way of getting the public involved
-it is democratic
-events can happen which cause a swell of public support for an issue
-social media is immediate feedback for the government
-free press can criticise the government
-government may respond too quickly to the public which could be bad as they may not have taken time to think it through
-public may resort to criminal behaviour to promote their cause
-media can create public panics
-the main aim is to make profit
-not politically neutral
Pressure Groups
-gives the public a voice
-they raise awareness
-can provide well thought out law changes
-some have large memberships representing the electorate
-they can raise issues the government usually back away from
-biased
-may only help a minority (tyranny of the minority)
-may resort to undesirable tactics which can be violent or illegal
-two conflicting groups can cancel each other out
Lobbyists
-easy for members of the public to get their views in parliament
-they are successful in bringing issues to the attention of MPs
-professional lobbyists are experts and can provide advice and information for the government on the issue at hand
-can be unethical and the process can get abused, such as cash for questions
-it requires experience to offer a solution
-it will only be effective for one group
-revolving door
ow might a major event affect Parliamentary law?
A major event such as covid, could cause major changes in law such as mask wearing, and lockdowns which were all urgent and requirements by law whilst COVID was at its peak in the UK.
Why was the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 passed?
The Act was rushed through in 1991 by the then Home Secretary, Kenneth Baker, after pit-bull terriers attacked a man in Lincoln and a six-year-old girl in Bradford.
Why was Dempsey in breach of the Act?
Magistrates sentenced her to be destroyed after the nephew of her owner, Dianne Fanneran, took her muzzle off in public when she became ill, and she was spotted by a policeman
What did Mr Justice Rougier say about the Act?
‘It seems to me that, while acknowledging the need to protect the public … the Dangerous Dogs Act bears all the hallmarks of an ill-thought-out piece of legislation, no doubt drafted in response to another pressure group …’
How might this problem with the Act have been avoided by the government when formulating the legislation?