header-logo header-logo

10 January 2025 / Neil Parpworth
Issue: 8099 / Categories: Features , Constitutional law
printer mail-detail

Calling time on hereditary peers? (Pt 3)

202617
A ‘timid pipsqueak’ of a Bill, or the first step towards greater reform? Neil Parpworth charts the journey of the Hereditary Peers Bill through the House of Commons
  • The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons on 12 November 2024.
  • Several new clauses were tabled by opposition MPs, including the exclusion of bishops and archbishops, a mandatory retirement age of 80, and a minimum participation requirement.
  • Although the government maintained its commitment to wider reforms to the House of Lords, opposition MPs expressed scepticism that further Bills will be brought forward during the lifetime of the present Parliament.

The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill, which was introduced on 5 September 2024 and received a second reading on 15 October 2024, passed its remaining stages in the House of Commons on 12 November 2024. As readers will recall, the Bill’s purpose is to break the link between the UK’s legislature and the aristocracy (see ‘Calling time on hereditary

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Withers—Sophie Barrett-Brown

Withers—Sophie Barrett-Brown

Withers drives further growth in its UK immigration team with new partner Sophie Barrett-Brown

Venus Legal—Esther Amoako

Venus Legal—Esther Amoako

Venus Legal invests in next generation of legal talent as specialist litigation practice grows

Fisher Phillips—Catrina Smith

Fisher Phillips—Catrina Smith

Fisher Phillips continues momentum in London with arrival of Catrina Smith

NEWS
Restrictions on workplace non-disclosure agreements could make settlements slower, more complex and more expensive when reforms expected in 2027 take effect
Private prosecutors face closer scrutiny under Crown Prosecution Service guidance designed to strengthen accountability and consistency when intervention is requested
Foreign states cannot necessarily claim immunity for cyber operations launched abroad against computers in Britain, following a divided Supreme Court ruling
Defendants who make unsupported complaints about their lawyers risk losing legal aid while confiscation proceedings continue without representation
Lawyers advising Russian clients face different sanctions restrictions across the UK, EU and US, despite their shared objective of increasing pressure on Russia
back-to-top-scroll