The process of enacting legislation is a complicated undertaking from the time a bill is drafted until it is finally passed and sent to the Queen. Legislation usually starts as a policy which the government or a member or parliament wishes to propose. The proposals must then complete the legislative process from which a Bill becomes an act of parliament. Once it becomes an Act it is the duty of the judiciary to interpret it. Parliamentary sovereignty ensures that the judiciary can only interpret statutes and not change them in any way. This is also to conform to the doctrine of the separation of powers.
The initial stage in the enactment of legislation is the proposal and in general most legislation is proposed by the Government. .
Bills can be divided into two main categories, being Public Bills and Private Bills. Public Bills are those which are prepared by the cabinet and are to change the law affecting the whole country. Private Bills are usually proposed by local authorities, large corporations or large public companies and only affect a minority of people. Proposals for Public Bills are often preceded by Green Paper consultation document# which allows any parties interested with a particular piece of legislation to submit their comments and views. Once the response from the Green Paper is then considered by the government, a second document in the form of a White Paper may be produced in which the firm proposals for legislation are set out.
Members of Parliament may also volunteer legislation in the form of private members" bills. Private members bills can be proposed in three different ways, these being, the ballot procedure#, under standing order 39# or under standing rule 13#. The ballot procedure is the most likely to have any success of the three and is when 20 backbench members are allowed to propose legislation on allocated Fridays in a parliamentary session.
As parliament consists of three main elements, being, the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the monarch, for or a Bill to further in the process of becoming an act it must then be pass through and be approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords and then must receive the Royal Assent.
