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98-663: Seanad Éireann ( Irish pronunciation: [ˈʃan̪ˠəd̪ˠ ˈeːɾʲən̪ˠ] ; Senate of Ireland ) was the upper house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1936. It has also been known simply as the Senate , First Seanad , Free State Senate or Free State Seanad . The Seanad was established under the 1922 Constitution of the Irish Free State . A number of constitutional amendments were made to change
196-546: A Cross-bench Convenor for administrative purposes, and to keep them up to date with the business of the House. Peers in the House of Lords can serve in the British government, when invited to do so, as ministers . Peers can even serve as prime minister , though this is no longer convention, and the last to do so was the 14th Earl of Home in 1963, who disclaimed his peerage within a few days of being appointed as prime minister to fight
294-462: A Lord High Steward would be appointed to preside over the trial – functionally this was usually done by temporarily elevating the Lord Chancellor to this role. Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville was the last person to be tried in the House of Lords on impeachment in 1806. In December 1935 Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham was elevated from Lord Chancellor to Lord High Steward to preside over
392-621: A judicial courtesy title of "Lord" or "Lady", with a territorial designation, for their remainder of their lives. In addition to serving as Presiding Officer of the Peers in the Lords, the Lord Chancellor also served as the head of the English and Welsh judiciary and a de facto 'Justice Minister'. The judicial function of the Lord Chancellor was removed with the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 , and
490-546: A majoritarian or plurality basis, and an electoral basis or collegium . Typically, the senate is referred to as the upper house and has a smaller membership than the lower house. In some federal states senates also exist at the subnational level. In the United States , most states and territories have senates, with the exception of Nebraska , Guam , and the U.S. Virgin Islands (whose legislatures are unicameral bodies called
588-448: A Senate. Córdoba and Tucumán changed to unicameral systems in 2001 and 2003 respectively. In Australia and Canada , only the upper house of the federal parliament is known as the Senate. All Australian states other than Queensland have an upper house known as a Legislative council . Several Canadian provinces also once had a Legislative Council, but these have all been abolished,
686-602: A bill had been approved by both houses of the Oireachtas (or just by the Dáil, if it had over-ridden the Seanad), its enactment into law could be suspended if, within seven days, either a majority of the Seanad or three-fifths of all members of the Dáil so requested. There would then be a further period of ninety days within which either 5% of all registered voters or 60% of the Seanad could demand
784-511: A bill may be bypassed by the lower house or another branch of government. The modern word senate is derived from the Latin word senātus (senate), which comes from senex , 'elder man'. A member or legislator of a senate is called senator . The Latin word senator was adopted into English with no change in spelling . Its meaning is derived from a very ancient form of social organization, in which advisory or decision-making powers are reserved for
882-530: A by-election to sit in the Commons. Peers in the House of Lords are often appointed by the sovereign, on the advice of the government, to serve as a Privy Counsellor . The Privy Council is a formal body of advisers to the monarch, on matters such as the issuing of royal charters . In theory all peers, life and hereditary, are also prospective members of the Magnum Concilium regardless of whether they sit in
980-427: A general election. This power has never been used because the modern Seanad is designed in such a way as to have a permanent government majority. During the Irish Free State there were at least 12 constitutional amendments relating to the Seanad. The value n where the amending act had the short title "Constitution (Amendment No. n ) Act year " Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly , often
1078-442: A hereditary viscountcy; however, the last to receive the honour was in 1983, and the convention is now accepted to have changed to a life peerage at the rank of baron instead. British prime ministers are also offered a peerage by convention when leaving office. This was previously a hereditary earldom. However, the last prime minister to receive this honour was Harold Macmillan in 1984. When she resigned in 1990 Margaret Thatcher , as
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#17328440704681176-582: A legal system comprising both hereditary and lifetime titles , composed of various ranks , and within the framework of the Constitution of the United Kingdom form a constituent part of the legislative process and the British honours system . The British monarch is considered the fount of honour and is notionally the only person who can grant peerages, though there are many conventions about how this power
1274-702: A long period of time. The original senate was the Roman Senate , which lasted until at least CE 603, although various efforts to revive it were made in Medieval Rome. In the Eastern Roman Empire , the Byzantine Senate continued until the Fourth Crusade , circa 1202–1204. The female form senatrix also existed. Modern democratic states with bicameral parliamentary systems are sometimes equipped with
1372-404: A peerage was David Cameron , who was given a life peerage in 2023. It is unclear in the present day whether the monarch would move to directly block a recommendation or a conventional ascension to the peerage, though they are constitutionally entitled to do so. It was reported in 2023 that members of the British security services had contacted Queen Elizabeth II to request she intervene and block
1470-418: A referendum on it. In 1928, this second period was extended so that the Seanad could delay a non-money bill for 20 months. The 1922 Constitution provided for a Seanad of 60 members directly elected. Members would serve 12-year terms, with one-quarter of the house elected every three years. The members would be elected under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote in
1568-436: A referendum on the bill. The referendum would be decided by a majority of votes cast and if rejected the bill would not become law. Article 47 did not apply to money bills or bills declared by both houses to be "necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health or safety". In 1928, Article 47 was repealed in its entirety, along with Article 48 which provided for an initiative process. A similar power given to
1666-445: A right to Barons to attend parliament; in the late 14th century, this right (or "title") began to be granted by decree, and titles also became inherited with the rest of an estate under the system of primogeniture . The requirement of attending Parliament was both a liability and a privilege for those who held land as a tenant-in-chief from the King per baroniam – that is to say, under
1764-608: A salary for their role. However, peers who serve in the House of Lords are entitled to claim £342 allowance for each day they attend to help cover expenses. In an effort to ensure peers from outside the capital were not disadvantaged, peers whose registered home address is outside Greater London can also claim travel expenses and up to £100 towards the cost of a hotel or similar accommodation. Peers who serve in government as ministers are not entitled to claim these allowances, however, and thus their roles are often jointly given with sinecure roles, or they are appointed to salaried positions in
1862-579: A seat in the House of Lords and having eligibility to serve in a ministerial role in the government if invited to do so by the prime minister. Until the creation of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in 2009, the peerage also formed a constituent part of the British judicial system , via the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords . The peerage has a role as a system of honour or award, with
1960-410: A senate, often distinguished from an ordinary parallel lower house , known variously as the " House of Representatives ", " House of Commons ", " Chamber of Deputies ", " National Assembly ", " Legislative Assembly ", or " House of Assembly ", by electoral rules. This may include minimum age required for voters and candidates, one house employing a proportional voting system and the other being elected on
2058-597: A single, nationwide, 15-seat contest. However, the body's initial membership would be appointed by Dáil Éireann (the lower house) and the President of the Executive Council . After the 1925 Seanad election , a direct election, the constitution was amended, so that further elections to the Seanad occurred by a method of indirect election. Therefore, in the five elections to the Seanad to occur before its abolition, three different systems were used. The 1925 Seanad election
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#17328440704682156-602: A state visit. Prior to the Regency Act of 1937 , peers serving as Lord Chancellor, or in other senior political roles, could also be delegated royal functions to serve as Counsellors of State ; however, this is now reserved to the monarch's spouse and the members of the Royal Family in the immediate line of succession. Until 2009 the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords served as the highest appellate court within
2254-579: A system called coparcenary . Following the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 , which replaced male-preference primogeniture with absolute primogeniture in the line of succession to the throne, there were calls from some hereditary peers' daughters to change the rules for hereditary peerages to match. In 2018 five daughters of hereditary peers took the government to the European Court of Human Rights to challenge
2352-555: A vote of the Seanad. However, a candidate elected in this way would serve only until the next senatorial election, when the seat would come up for election along with the others scheduled to be filled. In 1929, the system was changed so that vacancies were filled by members of both houses voting together. The Free State Seanad was abolished entirely by the Constitution (Amendment No. 24) Act 1936 after it delayed some Government proposals for constitutional changes. Éamon de Valera had seen its delay of his proposals as illegitimate, although
2450-578: Is used, especially at the request of the British government. The term peerage can be used both collectively to refer to the entire body of titled nobility (or a subdivision thereof), and individually to refer to a specific title (modern English language -style using an initial capital in the latter case but not the former). British peerage title holders are termed peers of the Realm . The peerage's fundamental roles are ones of law making and governance, with peers being eligible (although formerly entitled ) to
2548-620: The Barony of Halton which was created by the Earl of Chester , or the Irish hereditary Knight of Kerry which was created by the Earl of Desmond . Through acts like the Quia Emptores of 1290 these powers were stripped back, and the authority to create titles was entrenched as exclusive to the monarch. The modern peerage system is a vestige of the custom of English kings in the 12th and 13th centuries to grant
2646-637: The Canadian Senate are appointed by the Governor General upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Canada , holding the office until they resign, are removed, or retire at the mandatory age of 75. The terms senate and senator , however, do not necessarily refer to a second chamber of a legislature: Peerages in the United Kingdom Peerages in the United Kingdom form
2744-660: The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 . The Earl Marshal is the only peer to retain a judicial function by right of office, as the sole judge of the High Court of Chivalry a civil law court with jurisdiction over matters of heraldry in England and Wales, though if not a professional lawyer, he normally appoints a professional lawyer as his lieutenant or surrogate. Since the House of Lords Reform Act 2014 , peers may resign from
2842-677: The Crown Honours Lists . Formerly, new peers were presented with an investiture ceremony, but this has not taken place since 1621 (investiture ceremonies for other honours are mostly managed by the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood ). New peers serving in parliament do receive an introduction ceremony at the House of Lords. All peerages are recorded on the Roll of the Peerage maintained by
2940-841: The Crown Office within the United Kingdom's Ministry of Justice , and published by the College of Arms . The Secretary of State for Justice in their role as Lord Chancellor is the keeper of the Peerage Roll, and their duties in that regard are daily discharged by a Registrar of the Peerage and a Deputy Registrar, who work within the Crown Office under the supervision of the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery . Succession claims to existing hereditary peerages are regulated by
3038-469: The Great Officers of State and government minister – served as the presiding officer of the peers in the House of Lords. Were a person not a peer to be appointed to the office of Lord Chancellor, they would traditionally be raised to the peerage upon appointment, though a scarcely used provision was made in 1539 for non-peers who are great officers of state but not peers to sit in between the benches in
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3136-448: The House of Lords Yacht Club . Until 2015 peers in the House of Lords could join the parliamentary rifle club which was located in a rifle range in the basement of the House of Lords. Though some peerages carry with them hereditary royal offices - for example the office of Earl Marshal has been consistently and hereditarily held by the dukes of Norfolk since 1672 - peerages don't automatically grant specific rights or privileges like
3234-602: The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales became the new head of the judiciary, while the former Lord Chancellor's ministry / Department for Constitutional Affairs was merged into the newly created Ministry of Justice in May 2007. Since then all Lord Chancellors have also held the office of Minister of Justice (in much the same way all First Lords of the Treasury hold the office of Prime Minister). In 2012 Chris Grayling would be
3332-489: The Protestant minority in the state, most of whom were former Southern Unionists , to promote inclusiveness in the new Free State. As a result, of the sixty members of the first Seanad, as well as 36 Catholics , there were 20 Protestants , 3 Quakers and 1 Jew . It contained 7 peers , a dowager countess ( Ellen, Countess of Desart , who was Jewish), 5 baronets and several knights . The New York Times remarked that
3430-575: The Royal Household . For example, the position of Leader of the House of Lords is usually appointed with the accompanying sinecure role of Lord Privy Seal , as the latter carries a salary. The Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords is appointed jointly to the role of Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms , and the Government deputy chief whip is appointed jointly as Captain of
3528-501: The Thatcher era. Since then, ruling parties have instead exclusively created life peerss and refrained from recommending any others to be elevated to a hereditary peerage, although there is nothing preventing future governments from doing so. Since 2009 almost all life peerages are created at the rank of baron, the sole exception being the Dukedom of Edinburgh in 2023. The government of
3626-722: The Yeomen of the Guard : This allows them to take a salary from the Royal Household as heads of the Sovereign's Bodyguard . The salaries of the Leader of the Opposition and Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Lords are paid for with public funds alongside the so called Cranborne Money , the annual payment to opposition parties in the House of Lords to help them with their costs. Peers who have served in
3724-443: The dissolution of a Parliament . Monarchs may also make new peers upon their coronation, jubilee or upon the demise of the previous monarch. There are also ad hoc announcements and "Special Honours", issued at random points throughout the year at the pleasure of the monarch. This might be done to allow someone to serve in cabinet, or as an immediate reward for exemplary service. Recipients of new peerages are typically announced via
3822-519: The feudal titles they replaced. For example, the Marquess of Salisbury owns the mineral rights below Welwyn Garden City , not because of the peerage, but because he also owns the separate historic feudal title ' Lordship of the Manor of Hatfield ' which granted these rights. Certain personal privileges are afforded to all peers and peeresses, but the main distinction of a peerage nowadays, apart from access to
3920-419: The untitled nobility ) despite their being grandchildren of the sovereign ( qv. Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall ), when Anne and her then husband, Mark Philips, declined the offer of peerage titles. For the majority of its history, hereditary peerages were the norm. Today, the only new hereditary peerages granted are to members of the royal family ; the last non-royal awardees of hereditary titles were in
4018-480: The upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature . The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: Senatus ), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: senex meaning "the elder" or "old man") and therefore considered wiser and more experienced members of the society or ruling class . However the Roman Senate was not the ancestor or predecessor of modern parliamentarism in any sense, because
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4116-668: The "Legislature" but whose members refer to themselves as "senators") and the District of Columbia (whose unicameral legislature is called the Council). There is also the US Senate at the federal level. Similarly in Argentina , in addition to the Senate at federal level, eight of the country's provinces , Buenos Aires , Catamarca , Corrientes , Entre Ríos , Mendoza , Salta , San Luis (since 1987) and Santa Fe , have bicameral legislatures with
4214-526: The "lesser barons". Certain other office-holders such as senior clerics and Freemen of the Cinque Ports were also deemed "Barons". The baronage was the collectively inclusive term denoting all members of the feudal nobility. As the baronage were ' overlords ' the term 'Lord' came to be used as an appellation. Under the old system of feudalism some Lords had the authority to effectively create titles of their own (through powers like Subinfeudation ), such as
4312-423: The 14th century, and that of viscount in the 15th century. A hereditary peer is a peer of the realm whose dignity may be inherited; those able to inherit it are said to be "in remainder". Hereditary peerage dignities may be created with writs of summons or by letters patent ; the former method is now obsolete. Writs of summons summon an individual to Parliament, in the old feudal tradition, and merely implied
4410-465: The 1937 Constitution of Ireland . As adopted, the Free State constitution contained a number of provisions for direct democracy , which included a special role for the Seanad. Most importantly it was provided that the Seanad could, if three-fifths of its members agreed, demand a binding referendum on any bill. This was to allow the Seanad to appeal to voters directly if there was a disagreement between
4508-707: The 6th Marquess of Lansdowne in his own right. This gave the new Lord Lansdowne an hereditary seat in the British House of Lords . Thus he had the unique distinction for a time of being a member of both the Oireachtas in Dublin and the British Parliament at Westminster . The opponents of the Anglo-Irish Treaty also opposed the new Seanad, and 37 of the senators' homes were burnt to the ground. Others were intimidated, kidnapped or almost assassinated. Nevertheless,
4606-432: The British system therefore differs fundamentally from continental European versions, where entire families, rather than individuals, were ennobled . This idea that status as a 'commoner' is based on title rather than bloodline correspondingly means for example that Princess Anne , who enjoys royal status as the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II , opted for her children to, technically, be commoners (though functionally part of
4704-572: The Conqueror prior to his ascension to the throne in 1066) and Lord of Mann (the title acquired with the Crown purchase of the Isle of Man under George III in 1765) are used respectively. All British subjects who were neither Royal nor Peers of the Realm were previously termed commoners , regardless of wealth or other social factors. Thus, all members of a peer's family, with the exception of their wife or unmarried widow, are (technically) commoners too;
4802-470: The Crown was itself a hereditary dignity, it seemed natural for seats in the upper House of Parliament to be so as well. Baronies and other titles of nobility became unconditionally hereditable on the abolition of feudal tenure by the Tenures Abolition Act 1660 . Thus over time baronies by writ effectively became hereditary peerages even if this had not been the intention of the original issuer of
4900-542: The Free State Seanad by Article 47 is granted to the modern Seanad by the 1937 Constitution of Ireland . Under the current constitution, a simple majority of senators (with the agreement of one-third of the Dáil) can request that the President of Ireland refer a bill to the people. The president can thus refuse to sign it until it has been approved either in an ordinary referendum or by the Dáil after it has reassembled after
4998-416: The Garter to Tony Blair other living prime ministers would not be raised either. Tony Blair was later knighted by Queen Elizabeth II as a Knight Companion of the Garter in 2022. Like all Crown honours, peerages are affirmed by letters patent affixed with the Great Seal of the Realm . In addition to letters patent, peers who are to sit in Parliament are issued a Writ of summons . The Writ of Summons calls
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#17328440704685096-460: The House of Lords Committee for Privileges and Conduct and administered by the Crown Office . Peerages can be refused by prospective recipients, and often have been throughout history for various different reasons. Winston Churchill declined the Dukedom of London so he could continue to sit in the House of Commons. Any peer who receives a writ of summons (which is in practice all life Peers bar Royal Peers, and some hereditary peers) may sit in
5194-427: The House of Lords (including those retired) have dining rights in the House of Lords dining halls, which also permit them to bring up to six guests. Peers may also use the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft at the Palace of Westminster for weddings and christenings for themselves and their families at the discretion of the Lady Usher of the Black Rod . There are formal and social clubs organised exclusively for peers, such as
5292-431: The House of Lords as the Lords Temporal . They sit alongside the Lords Spiritual , who are not peers, but bishops of the Church of England. Labour , elected to power in 1997, sought to remove all of the seats in the House of Lords reserved for hereditary peers via the House of Lords Act 1999 , but then Prime Minister Tony Blair relented by allowing 92 members to remain. 90 of these hereditary peers are elected to
5390-424: The House of Lords for life peers and some hereditary peers, is the title and style thereby accorded. The modern-day parliamentary peerage is a successor of the medieval baronage system which emerged in the English feudal era. Feudalism was introduced to England after 1066 by William the Conqueror and taken to Scotland by David I in 1124 when, after having lived in England as Earl of Huntingdon, he succeeded to
5488-440: The House of Lords from within their own populace , while the other two sit ex officio holding the hereditary constitutional offices of Earl Marshal and the Lord Great Chamberlain . Since the Parliament Act 1911 and Parliament Act 1949 the House of Lords' purpose is now that of a revising legislative chamber, scrutinising and potentially changing proposed Parliamentary Bills before their enactment. Its membership for
5586-404: The House of Lords, whilst keeping their title and style. Though there is no mechanism for life peers to fully disclaim their peerage, hereditary peers may fully disclaim their peerage for their lifetime under the Peerage Act 1963 . The peerage remains extant until the death of the peer who had made the disclaimer, when it descends to his or her heir in the usual manner. The Crown does not have
5684-401: The House of Lords. This is a council summoned for nobles to discuss the affairs of the country with the monarch; however, it has not been convened since 1640. Peers can also be appointed as Lords-in-waiting where they may be called upon periodically to represent the sovereign; for example, one of their number is regularly called upon to greet visiting heads of state on arrival at the start of
5782-403: The House, meaning commoners could execute the role without the need for elevation to the peerage. Since 2006, however, in an effort to separate powers , the role of presiding officer has been fulfilled by the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords elected by the peers from amongst their own number. The Lord Chancellor retained their role as a government minister, however, and in June 2007 Jack Straw
5880-448: The Lords' self-regulation, though any member may draw attention to breaches of order or failure to observe customs. The Leader is often called upon to advise on procedures and points of order. However, neither the Lord Speaker nor the Leader of the House has the power to rule on points of order or to intervene during an inappropriate speech. Parties within the House of Lords have whips , however Cross Bench peers elect from among themselves
5978-746: The Roman senate was not a de jure legislative body. Many countries have an assembly named a senate , composed of senators who may be elected , appointed, have inherited the title, or gained membership by other methods, depending on the country. Modern senates typically serve to provide a chamber of "sober second thought" to consider legislation passed by a lower house , whose members are usually elected. Most senates have asymmetrical duties and powers compared with their respective lower house meaning they have special duties, for example to fill important political positions or to pass special laws. Conversely many senates have limited powers in changing or stopping bills under consideration and efforts to stall or veto
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#17328440704686076-515: The Scottish throne. A Barony was a form of feudal landholding, where individuals were appointed by the king, as his tenants-in-chief – that is to say people who held land by feudal tenure directly from the king as their sole overlord and were granted by him a legal jurisdiction (court baron) over said territory. The nation had been divided into many " manors ", the owners of the manors came to be known as barons; those who held many manors were known as "greater barons", while those with fewer manors were
6174-494: The Seanad was abolished in 1936. The system for nominating candidates was also changed. After 1928, it was provided that the number of nominees would be equal to twice the number of seats to be filled and that half would be elected by the Dáil and the other half by the Seanad. Both houses used the single transferable vote for this purpose. The right of outgoing senators to nominate themselves was removed. The constitution originally provided that premature vacancies would be filled by
6272-466: The Seanad were appointed by the President of the Executive Council (prime minister), W. T. Cosgrave ; the other half were elected by the Dáil under the single transferable vote . The first 15 elected by the Dáil were assigned a term of nine years, the other 15 a term of three years. Cosgrave's nominees were divided by lot, 15 to serve for twelve years and 15 for six years. The President agreed to use his appointments in 1922 to grant extra representation to
6370-432: The Seanad were to be elected from a single constituency consisting of the combined membership of the outgoing Seanad and the Dáil, and the system was changed so that a third (20 seats) rather than a quarter (15 seats) of the Seanad would be replaced at each election. The elections were still held by secret ballot and under the single transferable vote . Elections took place under the new system in 1928, 1931, and 1934 before
6468-415: The United Kingdom makes recommendations to the sovereign concerning who should be elevated to the peerage, after external vetting by the House of Lords Appointments Commission for those peers who will be sitting in the House of Lords (which is now by convention almost all new creations, with the exception of royal peerages ). Most peerage nominations are 'political peers' or 'working peers', nominated by
6566-430: The United Kingdom's legal system. The Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 allowed for the appointment of Lords of Appeal in Ordinary – judges meeting specific criteria made peers for life – who formed the main body of the committee. 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. At
6664-407: The continuing opposition majority had been a result of his own earlier boycott of the Free State Oireachtas (combined with the provision for the Seanad's self-election). The abolition was highly controversial at the time and the last chairman Thomas Westropp Bennett played a key role. It opposed its own abolition, but this decision was over-ridden by the Dáil. De Valera later created a new Senate in
6762-406: The discretion of the monarch as the fount of honour (though functionally and mostly on the advice of the government); there is, therefore, no entitlement to be granted a peerage. However, historic precedent means some individuals are granted peerages by convention. For example, since the Wars of the Three Kingdoms it has been convention for a retiring speaker of the House of Commons to be granted
6860-415: The eldest men. For the same reason, the word senate is correctly used when referring to any powerful authority characteristically composed by the eldest members of a community, as a deliberative body of a faculty in an institution of higher learning is often called a senate. This form of adaptation was used to show the power of those in body and for the decision-making process to be thorough, which could take
6958-399: The election of Lord Glenavy. The 15 original 3-year seats came up for election in 1925, as did four other seats which had been filled temporarily by co-option. The 19 retiring members were automatically eligible for re-election; another 19 candidates were nominated by the Seanad (by the single transferable vote from a list of 29); the Dáil nominated 38 candidates (from a list of 57, again by
7056-491: The existence or creation of an hereditary peerage dignity, which is automatically inherited, presumably according to the traditional medieval rules (male-preference primogeniture , like the succession of the British crown until 2011). Letters patent explicitly create a dignity and specify its course of inheritance (usually agnatic succession, like the Salic Law ). Some hereditary titles can pass through and vest in female heirs in
7154-430: The feudal contract wherein a King's Baron was responsible for raising knights and troops for the royal military service. When Kings summoned their barons to Royal Councils, the greater barons were summoned individually by the sovereign, lesser barons through sheriffs. In England in 1254, the lesser barons ceased to be summoned, and this right, entitlement or "title" to attend parliament began to be granted by decree in
7252-406: The first Seanad greatly influenced the guiding principles and legislative foundations of the new state. The first Cathaoirleach (chairman) was Lord Glenavy . Lord Glenavy had formerly served as the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1916 to 1918 and had served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1918 to 1921. George Sigerson served as chairman briefly from 11 to 12 December 1922 before
7350-448: The first female prime minister, was not offered a hereditary earldom or any other peerage, but instead a baronetcy (a hereditary knighthood and not a peerage) was awarded to her husband Denis Thatcher (this was the last non-royal hereditary honour of any variety created in the UK to date). Thatcher was later given a life peerage in her own right in 1992. The most recent prime minister to receive
7448-566: The first non-lawyer to serve as Lord Chancellor for at least 440 years. As the Head of the judiciary in England and Wales, the Lord Chancellor also served as a member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council ; however, the last lord chancellor to preside as a judge of this court was Lord Irvine of Lairg (in office 1997–2003). This function was also removed from the Lord Chancellor following
7546-482: The first senate was "representative of all classes", though it has also been described as, "the most curious political grouping in the history of the Irish state". Members included W. B. Yeats , Oliver St. John Gogarty , General Sir Bryan Mahon and Jennie Wyse Power . Also included was the Earl of Kerry , heir to the 5th Marquess of Lansdowne . Lord Kerry succeeded his father in the peerage in June 1927, thus becoming
7644-420: The form of a Writ of Summons from 1265. This body of greater barons evolved into the House of Lords. Magna Carta, first issued in 1215, declared that "No free man shall be seized, imprisoned, dispossessed, outlawed, exiled or ruined in any way, nor in any way proceeded against, except by the lawful judgement of his peers", and thus this body of greater Barons were deemed to be 'peers' of one another, and it became
7742-413: The granting of a peerage title forming the highest rung of the modern British honours system. In the UK, five peerages or peerage divisions co-exist, namely: All peerages are created by the British monarch . The monarch, as the fount of honour, cannot hold a British peerage themselves. However, the monarch, in addition to their title of 'King' or 'Queen', whether male or female, is informally accorded
7840-525: The last being Quebec 's Legislative council in 1968. In Germany , the last senate of a state parliament, the Bavarian Senate , was abolished in 2000. Senate membership can be determined either through elections or appointments. For example, elections are held every three years for half the membership of the Senate of the Philippines , the term of a senator being six years. In contrast, members of
7938-437: The last ever trial of a peer ‘by his peers’, with the trial of the 26th Baron de Clifford in the House of Lords for manslaughter. The right to be tried by other peers in the House of Lords was abolished at the request of the Lords in 1948 by Criminal Justice Act 1948 . There is no automatic right to a salary for being a peer - this includes peers who serve in parliament, who unlike MP's in the House of Commons , do not receive
8036-520: The manner of its election and its powers. It was eventually abolished in 1936 when it attempted to obstruct constitutional reforms favoured by the government. It sat, like its modern successor, in Leinster House . The Seanad was subordinate to Dáil Éireann (the lower house) and could delay but not veto decisions of that house. Nonetheless, the Free State Senate had more power than its successor,
8134-485: The member to the House. A new writ is issued for every member at the beginning of each Parliament (after a general election). A writ accompanies the letters patent for new members. The honour will also be recorded in The London Gazette . Honours, including peerages, are usually awarded at new year and on the monarch's official birthday . They can also be awarded as part of a Prime Minister's resignation , or upon
8232-411: The modern Seanad Éireann , which can only delay normal legislation for 90 days. As originally adopted the constitution provided that the Free State Seanad had power to delay a money bill for 21 days (three weeks) and delay any other bill for 270 days (approximately nine months)—with the potential for a further 9 months' delay if the Seanad voted to suspend a bill just passed into law in order to initiate
8330-529: The most part comprises life peers , created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 , which includes those who can add value in specific areas of expertise in parliamentary debates, as well as former MPs and other political appointees from respective political parties. Those who do not sit with a political party, may sit in the house as a so called Crossbencher . Prior to July 2006 the Lord Chancellor – one of
8428-589: The norm to refer to these magnates as a 'peerage' during the reign of Edward II . Meanwhile the holders of smaller fiefdoms per baroniam ceased to be summoned to parliament , meaning the official political importance of ownership of manors declined, resulting in baronial status becoming a 'personal' title rather than one linked to ownership of territory. Eventually 'writs of summons' ceased to be issued, and Letters patent were used to create new lordships, with people being summoned to parliament by Letters Patent from 1388. The first baron to be created by patent
8526-554: The peerage of Evgeny Lebedev who had been nominated by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson . Some media outlets have reported personal interventions with other honours: For example, former prime ministers are also by convention knighted, being raised to the Order of the Garter or the Order of the Thistle . However it was alleged in 2020 that due to a personal reluctance by Queen Elizabeth II to award
8624-477: The power to cancel or revoke a peerage once it has been created. A peerage can only be removed from an individual by an act of parliament, an example of such being the Titles Deprivation Act 1917 . Under the privilege of peerage , peers themselves had the right to be tried for impeachment , felonies or for high treason by other peers in the House of Lords (instead of commoners on juries). In such cases
8722-494: The prime minister of the governing party, or by other party leaders to ‘top up’ each of the party groups’ strengths and on the expectation that they will attend parliament regularly and take on frontbench work. However, since 2001 anyone can make a nomination to the House of Lords Appointment Commission, for a non-party political "cross bench" peer - sometimes called 'people's peers' . Since 2001 67 'people's peers' have been appointed. All honours, including peerages, are granted at
8820-482: The single transferable vote). The 76 candidates were then put to the public electorate on 17 September 1925, but without partisan campaigning, turnout was less than a quarter of the 1,345,000 potential voters. The count took two weeks. Only 8 of the former senators were re-elected, with particularly poor results for the Gaelic League and Douglas Hyde . After the amendment of the constitution in 1928, future members of
8918-543: The style of ' Duke of Lancaster ' (a title linked to the historic Duchy of Lancaster , which became the private estate of the British sovereign when the holder, Henry IV of England , ascended the throne in 1399). Likewise in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man (which are not strictly part of the United Kingdom, but possessions of the British Crown) the informal titles Duke of Normandy (a title associated with William
9016-475: The term of office from 12 years to 9 years. Seanad Éireann , established by the Constitution of Ireland in 1937 is considered to be a successor of the Free State Seanad. Each Seanad elected under the 1937 Constitution is numbered, beginning with the 2nd Seanad elected in 1938. The entire period of the Seanad of the Irish Free State was considered to have been the First Seanad. Half the initial membership of
9114-571: The time of creation, the 12 Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (the Law Lords) became the first wave of justices to the Supreme Court but were simultaneously disqualified from sitting or voting in the House of Lords until they retired from the court. Judges appointed to the new Supreme Court are not automatically made peers, but those who have not previously been independently granted a peerage, are entitled to use
9212-512: The two houses and if the Dáil attempted to override the Seanad. However, this power was taken from the Seanad in 1928 without having been put to use. It was in compensation for this loss that the Seanad's powers of delay were increased in the same year. Before it was removed, the Seanad's right to demand a referendum was contained in Article 47, which provided for voters to veto legislation directly in certain circumstances. The article provided that once
9310-695: The writ. By the Tenures Abolition Act 1660 , many remaining baronies by tenure who had not got an established inherited writ of summons were converted into baronies by writ, thereby bringing them into line with the other peerages. While non-heritable "peerages for life" were often created in the early days of the peerage, their regular creation was not provided for by Act of Parliament until the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 and in 1958 more generally. The rank of earl dates to Anglo-Saxon times. The ranks of duke and marquess were introduced in
9408-448: Was Lord Beauchamp of Holt in the reign of Richard II . Feudal baronies had always been hereditable by primogeniture , but on condition of payment of a fine, termed " relief ", derived from the Latin verb levo to lift up, meaning a "re-elevation" to a former position of honour. By the beginning of the 14th century, the hereditary characteristics of the Peerage were well developed. Since
9506-418: Was notable in that 19 were elected in a single contest using STV. This was the largest district magnitude used under STV anywhere in the world until 1995. The next time an Irish election used the whole country as a single district was for the 1945 presidential election . Seanad membership was initially restricted to those who were over 35. Constitutional amendments made in 1928 reduced the minimum age to 30 and
9604-464: Was the first commoner to be appointed as Lord Chancellor since 1587. As the upper chamber , in contrast to the House of Commons, where proceedings are controlled by the speaker , proceedings in the Lords are controlled by peers themselves, under the rules set out in the Standing Orders . The Leader of the House of Lords has the responsibility of reminding the House of these rules and facilitating
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