ABSTRACT
Introduction Parliament is composed of the Crown, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Its origins lie in the King’s Council – the assembly of advisers summoned by the King – and the term ‘parliament’ can be traced to the thirteenth century. 1
In order to evaluate Parliament, it is necessary to examine its composition and procedure. The former task may be accomplished by either looking at the actual membership of Parliament by party allegiance at a fi xed point in time or by looking at it in a more sociological manner in order to analyse the class and educational background of Members and their employment status. The undertaking is complicated by the bicameral nature of Parliament and the fact that the House of Commons is elected and the House of Lords unelected. The importance of procedure, particularly in the House of Commons, cannot be overemphasised. Only by acquiring an understanding of the procedural rules can sense be made of the functions of Parliament and its importance, or otherwise, in the process of government. In the absence of a written constitution which clearly defi nes and allocates powers and functions, the manner in which the legislative proposals of government are examined, and the administration of the state scrutinised, assumes central importance to the notion of democratic control of the executive. The doctrine of constitutionalism can only be effective if the procedures adopted by Parliament are effective in controlling the government.
