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	The '''House of Lords''' is the upper chamber of the [[Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom]]. It works alongside the elected [[House_of_Commons]] to examine legislation, scrutinise government and debate public issues.

The House of Lords is the upper chamber of the Parliament of the [[United Kingdom]]. It is one of the two houses of the UK Parliament, alongside the [[House of Commons]]. The House of Lords plays a crucial role in the legislative process, providing expertise, independent judgment, and a revising function. This wiki page provides an overview of the House of Lords, including its composition, functions, history, and key features.
	The Lords is unelected. Its modern role is mainly revision, scrutiny and specialist debate. It can ask the Commons to think again, but the elected Commons has the stronger democratic mandate and can ultimately prevail in most legislative disputes.

== Composition ==	== Composition ==
The House of Lords is made up of appointed members, known as peers. There are three main types of peers:
	The House of Lords is made up of Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal. Lords Spiritual are Church of England bishops. Lords Temporal are mainly life peers appointed under the life peerage system.

# Life Peers: Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister or the House of Lords Appointments Commission. They are appointed for their expertise in specific fields or for their contribution to society. Life peers hold their titles for life, and their membership is not hereditary.
# Hereditary Peers: Hereditary peers inherit their titles and membership in the House of Lords through their family lineage. However, following the House of Lords Act 1999, the number of hereditary peers who can sit in the House of Lords is limited to 92. These 92 hereditary peers are elected by their fellow hereditary peers.
# Bishops: The House of Lords includes 26 bishops from the Church of England, known as the Lords Spiritual. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, as well as the Bishops of London, Durham, and Winchester, automatically have seats in the House of Lords. The remaining bishops take turns attending parliamentary sessions based on a rota system.
	The House no longer includes members sitting by hereditary right. The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026 removed the remaining connection between hereditary peerage and membership of the House of Lords. The Commons Library states that, after the end of the 2024-26 parliamentary session on 29 April 2026, the remaining hereditary peers were no longer entitled to sit and vote by virtue of hereditary peerage.

== Functions and Powers ==
	== Role ==
	The Lords examines bills, proposes amendments, debates policy and questions ministers. Its members often bring experience from law, business, science, public service, charities, academia, religion, local government and politics.

# Legislation: The House of Lords shares the responsibility of passing laws and legislation with the House of Commons. It examines and scrutinizes bills that have been introduced in the House of Commons, offering expertise, suggesting amendments, and making revisions. The House of Lords can propose amendments to bills, but the final decision rests with the House of Commons.
# Revision and Scrutiny: The House of Lords plays a vital role in reviewing and revising legislation. It provides a platform for detailed examination and debate on the content and implications of bills. The expertise and independent judgment of members from various fields contribute to the refinement of legislation.
# Deliberation and Debate: The House of Lords serves as a forum for informed and reasoned debates on a wide range of issues. Peers bring their expertise, experience, and diverse perspectives to discussions, enriching the quality of parliamentary debates.
# Challenging the Government: Members of the House of Lords can challenge government policies, question ministers, and hold the government accountable for its actions. While the House of Lords cannot veto legislation passed by the House of Commons, it can propose amendments and offer alternative perspectives.
	The House is often described as a revising chamber. That means it spends much of its time checking the detail of proposed laws, identifying technical problems and asking ministers to justify policy choices.

== History ==
The House of Lords traces its origins back to the medieval period when it served as a council of advisors to the monarch. Over time, the composition and powers of the House of Lords evolved, with the peerage system becoming more structured. The House of Lords Act 1999 significantly reduced the number of hereditary peers and introduced a more balanced and diverse composition.
	== Powers and Limits ==
	The Lords can delay many public bills and propose amendments, but the Parliament Acts limit its ability to block legislation. The Commons controls money bills and has the final political authority on taxation and public spending.

== Key Features ==
	The Lords can still be influential. Government amendments are often made in response to Lords scrutiny. Committee reports can shape public debate. Defeats in the Lords may force ministers to reconsider wording, evidence or implementation.

# Debates and Speeches: The House of Lords is known for its articulate and knowledgeable debates. Peers contribute to discussions through speeches, raising concerns, proposing amendments, and providing expert insights.
# Crossbenchers: The House of Lords includes a significant number of crossbenchers who are not affiliated with any political party. They bring independent perspectives and expertise to the legislative process.
# Committees: The House of Lords has various committees that focus on specific areas of policy and legislation. These committees conduct inquiries, scrutinize government actions, and produce reports.
	== Committees ==
	House of Lords committees examine public policy, constitutional issues, secondary legislation, delegated powers, science, technology, international agreements and other specialist areas. They can take evidence, publish reports and press the government for responses.

	The committee system is one of the main ways the Lords adds value. It allows members with relevant experience to examine detail that may receive less time in the main chamber.

	== History and Reform ==
	The House of Lords developed from the medieval councils of the monarch and became one of the two Houses of Parliament. Its power was reduced in the twentieth century, especially by the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949.

	Major modern reforms include the Life Peerages Act 1958, which allowed the creation of life peerages, the House of Lords Act 1999, which removed most hereditary peers, and the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026, which removed the remaining hereditary right to sit and vote.

	Debate about reform continues. Proposals have included an elected second chamber, smaller membership, fixed terms, age or attendance rules and changes to the role of bishops. Supporters of the current model point to expertise and revision. Critics argue that an unelected chamber has weak democratic legitimacy.

	== See Also ==
	* [[Parliamentary_democracy]]
	* [[Prime_Minister]]
	* [[United_Kingdom]]
	* [[Human_Rights]]

	== References ==
	* [https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/role/system/ UK Parliament: The two-House system]
	* [https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/role/ UK Parliament: What is the role of Parliament?]
	* [https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10635/ House of Commons Library: Peerages and membership of the House of Lords]
	* [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2026/12 House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026]
	* [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2026/12/notes/contents House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026 explanatory notes]
	* [https://www.parliament.uk/business/lords/lords-history/history-of-the-lords/ UK Parliament: History of the House of Lords]
	* [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmpubadm/662/66204.htm UK Parliament: The role of the House of Lords]

	[[Category:Politics]]
	[[Category:United Kingdom]]
	[[Category:Government]]