Peerage Act 1963

The Peerage Act 1963 (1963 c. 48 ) is an Act of the British Parliament on 31 July 1963. It meant an important change in the constitution of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as there is a part of the legislature, namely the House of Lords, altered. According to this law, all Scottish peers were given a seat in the House of Lords and the law allowed the peers to return the title of nobility, and thus the upper house mandate. The Peerage Act received the royal confirmation and was born on July 31, 1963 by 18 clock effectively.

Background

The amendment was initiated by a campaign by the Labour MP Tony Benn. This belonged to the House of Commons and lost this seat automatically, when his father died in November 1960, and he inherited his peerage and seat in the House of Lords ( is a membership in both houses not allowed). Since there was no legal way to leave the title of nobility, he applied to the by-election again to its previous mandate in the House and was re-elected. A Verification court found him again from his seat. Benn continued his campaign and the conservative government accepted ultimately the need for a change in the law.

Adelsausschlagung

Under the new law, a peer can the title and seat in the Upper House within 12 months after he inherits the title or until the 22nd birthday when he inherited him as a child, refuse. The disclaimer is to be explained in relation to the Lord Chancellor. Thus he loses the title and all privileges thereof. Is the person married, his wife can take over the title, otherwise the title will remain vacant until the next heir shall take the title. As a transitional measure peers had in the year after adoption of the law, the right to title resignation.

Benn was the first Lord, who resigned his title to 18.22 clock on the same day. Of national importance, the decision of Alec Douglas-Home was set down his title due to the law and to run for the lower house. As a result, he became Prime Minister.

The House of Lords Act 1999, it is no longer necessary to lay down the track to become a member of the lower house.

The law does not apply to the Peerage of Ireland.

Peerage of Scotland

According to the Union in 1707 were 168 English and 154 Scottish peers. In order not to let the upper house dominated by the Scots, and because Scotland only counted one-fifth of the English population, they received Scottish peers no automatic seat in the House of Lords. Instead, the Scottish peers elected 16 representatives.

The Peerage Act 1963 abolished this regulation. Now all Scottish peers had a seat

Hereditary peeresses

Only in 1958 were admitted in the House of Lords women. The adopted that year Life peerages Act allowed the female nobles for life to take their seats in the upper house. With the Peerage Act 1963 also hereditary peeresses received one seat