ABSTRACT
The House of Lords, as it is in 1974, is a rather unimportant part of the British constitutional system, and it is tempting at this point to spend a couple of pages in giving only a minimal description of its composition and powers. One archaic part of the House of Lords' work that survives is its function as the highest court of justice. By 1844 it was recognised that only those peers who had appropriate qualifications ought to attend the meetings of the House which performed judicial functions. The House of Lords' judicial functions are thus now performed for it by a committee of its members. The Courts Act, 1971, which made sweeping changes in the administration of justice, did not interfere with the judicial functions of the House of Lords, because there was no evidence that any change in this part of the system would be likely to produce any concrete advantages.
