47-854: The Woolsack is the seat of the Lord Speaker in the House of Lords , the Upper House of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Before 2006, it was the seat of the Lord Chancellor , who presided as the presiding officer of the House. The Woolsack’s status in the House was enshrined in the first standing orders in 1621. In the 14th century, King Edward III (1327–1377) said that his Lord Chancellor, while in council, should sit on
94-625: A wool bale , now known as "The Woolsack", to symbolise the central nature and great importance of the wool trade to the economy of England in the Middle Ages . Indeed, it was largely to protect the vital English wool trade routes with continental Europe that the Battle of Crécy was fought with the French in 1346. In 1938, it was discovered that the Woolsack was stuffed with horsehair. When it
141-570: A committee of the House, effectively to exercise the judicial functions of the House of Lords , which included acting as the highest appellate court for most domestic matters. On 1 October 2009, the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 was repealed owing to the creation of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom . The House of Lords thus lost its judicial functions and the power to create law life peers lapsed, although
188-608: A hereditary peerage on 23 July 1856. In 1873 William Ewart Gladstone 's government passed the Judicature Act 1873 , which reorganised the court system and abolished the appellate jurisdiction of the House of Lords in respect of English appeals. In February 1874, before the Act came into force, Gladstone's Liberal Government fell. The Conservative Benjamin Disraeli became prime minister. In 1874 and 1875 Acts were passed delaying
235-770: A member). Also, the Lord Speaker may end the adjournment of the House (or "recall" the House) during a public emergency. The Lord Speaker has assumed most of the duties that the Lord Chancellor used to have in relation to his parliamentary role. However, the Lord Chancellor continues to hand the speech to the King during the State Opening of Parliament , representing the Government in doing so. When peers debated
282-408: Is John McFall, Baron McFall of Alcluith . To date four people have held the role. In 2003, following the decision to disaggregate the roles performed by the Lord Chancellor (originally Prime Minister Blair's aim was to abolish the office altogether), a select committee of the House of Lords looked into the proposed new office of its presiding officer, including the title for the elected speaker of
329-526: Is elected for a maximum term of five years, and may serve a maximum of two terms. The election is conducted using the alternative vote method. Under amendments made on 3 May 2011, elections must be held by 15 July of the final year of a term, with the new term beginning on 1 September. When Helene Hayman, Baroness Hayman , was elected the first Lord Speaker, the Clerk of the Parliaments (the chief clerk of
376-443: Is still extant. The Woolsack is a large, wool -stuffed cushion covered with red cloth; it has neither a back nor arms, though, in the centre of the Woolsack, there is a back-rest. The Lords' Mace is placed on the rear part of the Woolsack when the House is in session. The Lord Speaker may speak from the Woolsack when speaking in their capacity as Speaker of the House but, if seeking to debate, must deliver their remarks either from
423-631: The Court of Appeal , High Court or Court of Session —for a period of two years. Lords of Appeal in Ordinary were required to retire from judicial office at 70 or 75 years of age, though as barons they continued to serve as members of the House of Lords in its legislative capacity for life. While letters patent issued by the Monarch under the terms of the Life Peerages Act 1958 just name
470-593: The Lord Chancellor . Under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 , the position of the speaker of the House of Lords (as it is termed in the Act) became a separate office, allowing the position to be held by someone other than the Lord Chancellor. The Lord Chancellor continued to act as speaker of the House of Lords in an interim period after the Act was passed while the House of Lords considered new arrangements about its speakership. The current Lord Speaker
517-1097: The State Opening of Parliament , the Judges' Woolsack is occupied by the Lord Chief Justice , the Master of the Rolls , the President of the King's Bench Division , the President of the Family Division , the Chancellor of the High Court , the Lords Justices of Appeal and the Justices of the High Court , all of whom are summoned by writ to attend. The Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom , who are likewise summoned to attend
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#1732765441736564-516: The Appellate Jurisdiction Act (e.g. life peers under the Life Peerages Act 1958 ). The Lords of Appeal continue to hold the style for life. The two most senior Lords of Appeal in Ordinary were designated the Senior and Second Senior Lords of Appeal in Ordinary respectively. The Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary historically was the Law Lord who was senior by virtue of having served in the House for
611-572: The Commonwealth Defender of the Faith / To whom these Presents shall come Greeting / Whereas Our [ name of retired Lord of Appeal in Ordinary ] has resigned his Office of a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary and the same is now vacant Now Know Ye that We of Our especial grace have in pursuance of the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 as amended by subsequent enactments nominated and appointed and by these Presents Do nominate and appoint Our [ name of
658-808: The House (who bears the Mace ). The procession is joined by the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod in the Prince's Chamber. Together, they move through the Not-content Lobby, entering the Chamber below the bar, and finish by walking up the Temporal (opposition) side toward the Woolsack. The Mace is placed on the Woolsack, where the Lord Speaker sits after a bishop has led the House in prayers. When
705-500: The House must not pass between the woolsack and any member who is speaking or between the woolsack and the clerk's table. If members wish to talk to each other while the House is sitting, they are not permitted to speak behind the woolsack and must retire to the Prince's Chamber . In front of the Woolsack are two even larger cushions known as the Judges' Woolsack. Any member of the House can sit on these two cushions during sessions. During
752-461: The House of Commons are addressed directly to the Speaker, those in the House of Lords are addressed to the House as a whole; i.e., speeches begin "My Lords" instead of "Mr Speaker". In practice, the only task of the Lord Speaker in the Chamber is to formally put the question before a vote, to announce the result of any vote, and to make certain announcements to the House (e.g., announcing the death of
799-466: The House of Lords is the presiding officer , chairman and highest authority of the House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The office is analogous to the Speaker of the House of Commons : the Lord Speaker is elected by the members of the House of Lords and is expected to be politically impartial. Until July 2006, the role of presiding officer in the House of Lords was undertaken by
846-599: The House of Lords) announced the result, and the Lord Chamberlain announced the Queen's confirmation of the choice. The Lord Speaker thus elected then replaced the Lord Chancellor on the Woolsack . By Royal Warrant on 4 July 2006, the Queen declared that the Lord Speaker would have rank and precedence immediately after the Speaker of the House of Commons. The Lord Speaker earns a salary of £ 104,360, less than
893-432: The Lord Chancellor, have become attracted to Phyllis, a ward of chancery. The Lord Chancellor laments that propriety would not allow him to marry his ward, no matter how strongly he may care for her. He describes his position this way: "Ah, my Lords, it is indeed painful to have to sit upon a woolsack which is stuffed with such thorns as these!" In Uncommon Law by A. P. Herbert , the newly-appointed Lady Chancellor finds
940-644: The Lords. Following their recommendations, the new speaker was named "Lord Speaker", and the number of deputy speakers has fallen from 25 to twelve. "Lord Speaker" was chosen in part because it was already in use in the Standing Orders and the Companion. The main functions of the Lord Speaker are to take the chair in debates held in the chamber of the House of Lords, to advise the House of Lords on procedural rules, to take formal responsibility for security in
987-579: The Sovereign appoints Lords Commissioners to perform certain actions on his or her behalf (for example, to open or prorogue Parliament, or formally declare Royal Assent ), the Lord Speaker is one of them. The other Lords Commissioners, by convention, are the Leader of the House (who has acted as the principal Commissioner since the Lord Chancellor's functions were transferred to the Lord Speaker),
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#17327654417361034-436: The Sovereign to make a statutory instrument , if each House of Parliament passed a resolution approving a draft of the same, increasing the maximum number of Lords of Appeal in Ordinary. Of all members of the House of Lords, only Lords of Appeal in Ordinary ever received state salaries by virtue of their position (other Lords have only ever received a daily allowance for attending sittings, plus expenses of attendance). In 2004,
1081-550: The Speaker of the House of Commons, though the Speaker of the House of Commons' salary includes £81,932 paid for being an MP. The Lord Speaker, like the Speaker of the House of Commons, is entitled to a grace and favour apartment in the Parliamentary Estate . Like the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Speaker wears court dress with a plain black silk gown while presiding over the House and a black silk damask and gold lace ceremonial gown on state occasions. To date holders of
1128-403: The Speaker of the House of Commons. For example, unlike the Speaker, the Lord Speaker does not call the House to order, determine who is to speak when two individuals rise at the same time, rule on points of order , discipline members who violate the rules of the House, or select amendments to bills —all these functions are performed by the House of Lords as a whole. Similarly, whereas speeches in
1175-574: The State Opening, are seated nearby, as their predecessors the Law Lords formerly sat on the benches as Lords Temporal . Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera Iolanthe is partially set in the grounds of the Palace of Westminster , the meeting place of the House of Lords, and the Lords appear as the male chorus and a fictional Lord Chancellor is a main character. The entire house, as well as
1222-536: The Supreme Court. The House of Lords historically had jurisdiction to hear appeals from the lower courts. Theoretically, the appeals were to the King (or Queen) in Parliament , but the House of Commons did not participate in judicial matters. The House of Lords did not necessarily include judges, but it was formerly attended by several judges who gave their opinions when the Lords desired. They did not, however, have
1269-426: The United Kingdom . As a result, the power to create life peers under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 lapsed, although the validity of peerages created thereunder remains intact. To be appointed a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary under the 1876 Act, a person was required to have been a practising barrister for a period of fifteen years or to have held a high judicial office—as Lord Chancellor (before 2005) or judge of
1316-846: The Woolsack uncomfortable and orders it replaced with a chair. Only after it has been removed does one of her fellow Law Lords mention that she should not have been sitting on the Woolsack when presiding on an appeal. 51°29′55.7″N 0°07′29.5″W / 51.498806°N 0.124861°W / 51.498806; -0.124861 Lord Speaker King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee The Lord Speaker of
1363-497: The appointment of two Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, who would continue to serve while holding judicial office, though in 1887, they were permitted to continue to sit in the House of Lords for life, with the style and dignity of baron . The number of Lords of Appeal in Ordinary was increased incrementally over the years—to three in 1882, to four in 1891, to six in 1913, to seven in 1929, to nine in 1947, to eleven in 1968 and to twelve in 1994. The Administration of Justice Act 1968 allowed
1410-524: The areas of the Palace of Westminster occupied by the House of Lords and its members, to speak for the House of Lords on ceremonial occasions, and to represent the House of Lords as its ambassador in the UK and overseas. The role has less power than the Speaker of the House of Commons . The House of Lords is largely self-governing, and its presiding officer has traditionally taken a less active role in debates than
1457-537: The coming into force of the Judicature Act 1873. The Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 repealed the provisions rescinding the jurisdiction of the House of Lords. Additionally, the Act provided for the appointment of two persons to be Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, who were to sit in the House of Lords under the dignity of baron. Originally, though they held the rank of baron for life, they served in Parliament only while holding judicial office. In 1889, however, an Act
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1504-435: The creation of the office, there was debate as to whether the new speaker should have additional powers and responsibilities that the Lord Chancellor does not have, ultimately resolved in the negative. The debate was renewed with proposals put forward by a Leader's Group (an ad hoc committee) led by Alastair Goodlad . The proposals include allowing the Lord Speaker, during Question Time and ministerial statements, to take on
1551-679: The leaders of the other two major parties in the Lords, and the Convenor of the Crossbenches. New peers, upon being introduced in the House of Lords, shake hands with the Lord Speaker after taking the oath (or making affirmation). Law Lords Lords of Appeal in Ordinary , commonly known as Law Lords , were judges appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 to the British House of Lords , as
1598-538: The left side of the Woolsack or from the normal seats of the Lords. If a Deputy Speaker presides in the absence of the Lord Speaker, then that individual uses the Woolsack. However, when the House meets in the " Committee of the Whole ", the Woolsack remains unoccupied, and the presiding officer, the Chairman or Deputy Chairman, occupies a chair at the front of the table of the House. To keep dignity and order, members of
1645-406: The new appointee ] to be a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary by the style of [ full peerage title of the new appointee ] to hold the said Office so long as he shall well behave himself therein subject to the provisions in the said Act mentioned with all wages profits privileges rank and precedence whatsoever to the said Office belonging or in anywise appertaining and to hold the said style of Baron unto him
1692-574: The office have chosen not to wear a wig, as the Lord Chancellor previously did, though they do have the option. When presiding over debates, the Lord Speaker sits on the Woolsack . Before each day's sitting of the House of Lords, the Lord Speaker forms part of a procession that marches from the Lord Speaker's residence to the Lords Chamber. The Lord Speaker is preceded by the Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms or Principal Doorkeeper of
1739-416: The power to vote in the House. In January 1856, to permit legally qualified members to exercise the House's appellate functions without allowing their heirs to swell the size of the House, Sir James Parke , a judge, was created a life peer as Baron Wensleydale . As the House of Lords eventually decided that a peerage "for the term of his natural life" did not allow him to sit and vote, Parke also received
1786-508: The recipient of the life peerage, letters patent issued under the terms of the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 also name the retired Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in whose stead the recipient is appointed. In the final form used in 2009, these read: Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Our other Realms and Territories Queen Head of
1833-438: The retirement age is 75 years of age; for those appointed on or after that date, retirement was at 70 years of age (though they were permitted to continue sitting in a part-time capacity as a "Lord of Appeal" until the age of 75 years). There have been recent suggestions that the retirement age for the United Kingdom's most senior judges should revert to 75 years of age. The Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 originally provided for
1880-419: The role of advising the House which party should speak next when there is a dispute. The Leader of the House of Lords , a Government minister, currently handles this task. The decision of who should speak would ultimately remain with the House. A similar proposal was made by the committee that initially discussed the new office. A further option would allow the Speaker even more power during Question Time, but it
1927-407: The said [ name of the new appointee ] during his life / In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent / Witness Ourself at Westminster the [ day ] day of [ month ] in the [ year ] Year of Our Reign. The statutory retirement age for Lords of Appeal in Ordinary depended on when they were first appointed to judicial office: for those who first became a judge before 31 March 1995,
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1974-459: The salary for the Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary was £185,705, and for other Lords of Appeal in Ordinary it was £179,431. In exercising the judicial functions of the House of Lords, Lords of Appeal in Ordinary were sometimes joined by other Lords of Appeal. Lords of Appeal included holders or former holders of high judicial office who were members of the House of Lords, but not by virtue of
2021-417: The validity of extant life peerages created under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 remains intact. Lords of Appeal in Ordinary who were in office on 1 October 2009 automatically became Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom . At the same time, those Supreme Court justices who already held seats in the House of Lords lost their right to speak and vote there until after retirement as Justices of
2068-461: Was not recommended by the Leader's Group. The Group's report has yet to be approved. Like the Speaker of the House of Commons, but unlike the Lord Chancellor (who was also a judge and a government minister), the Lord Speaker is expected to remain non-partisan whilst in office. On election, the Lord Speaker resigns the party whip or crossbench group and certain outside interests to concentrate on being an impartial presiding officer. The Lord Speaker
2115-404: Was passed allowing Lords of Appeal to continue to sit and vote in Parliament even after retirement from office. The last person to be made a law lord under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 was Sir Brian Kerr on 29 June 2009. On 1 October 2009, the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 was repealed by Schedule 18 to the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 owing to the creation of the Supreme Court of
2162-703: Was remade, it was re-stuffed with wool from the British Isles and all over the British Commonwealth , supplied by the International Wool Secretariat , as a symbol of unity. From the Middle Ages until 2006, the presiding officer in the House of Lords was the Lord Chancellor , and the Woolsack was usually mentioned in association with the office of Lord Chancellor. In July of that year, the function of Lord Speaker
2209-456: Was split from that of Lord Chancellor under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 , with the former now sitting on the Woolsack. Until 1949, Canada's Senate had a judges' woolsack. At the behest of Jean-François Pouliot , an MP from Quebec , who decried the use of a cushion on which the Supreme Court of Canada 's judges had to sprawl "like urchins," the woolsack was eventually abolished and replaced with conventional chairs. The original woolsack
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