THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN

In theory, the British constitution has three branches: Parliament, which makes laws, the government, which 'executes' laws, and the law courts, which interpret laws. Although the Queen is officially head of all three branches, she has little direct power.

Parliament has two parts: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Members of the House of Commons are elected by the voters of 650 constituencies. They are known as MPs, or Members of Parliament. The Prime Minister, or leader of the Government, is also an MP, usually the leader of tie political party with a majority in the House of Commons.

The Prime Minister is advised by a Cabinet of about twenty ether ministers. The Cabinet includes the ministers in charge of major government departments or ministries. Departments and ministries are run by civil servants, who are permanent officials.

Members of the House of Lords (peers) are not elected. About 70 per cent of them are «hereditary peers» because their fathers were peers before them. The other 30 per cent are «life peers», whose titles are not passed on to their children.

The Lords of Appeal (Law Lords) serve the House of Lords as the ultimate court of appeal. This appeal court consists of some nine Law Lords who hold senior judicial office. They are presided over by the Lord Chancellor and they form a quorum of three to five when they hear appeal cases.

Parliament

Functions of Parliament

• making laws

• providing money for government, through taxation

• examining government policy, administration and spending debating political questions.

The Government

Functions of the Prime Minister

• leading the majority party

• running the Government

• appointing Cabinet Ministers and other ministers

• representing the nation in political matters

The Law Courts

There are two main kinds of courts, and two main kinds of judicial officers to correspond with them. Courts of first instance are presided over by magistrates, who are normally Justices of the Peace (JPs); higher courts (crown courts) by judges, or in some cases, senior barristers specially appointed to perform judicial functions for part of their time.

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