New citizens swear (Oath of allegiance )or affirm (Affirmation of allegiance

)loyalty to the King as part of the citizenship ceremony.

System of government (The House of Parliament Westminster)

The system of government in the UK is a parliamentary democracy. The

House of Parliament has two chambers. The House of Commons is
regarded as the more important of the two chambers in Parliament
because its members are democratically elected. Voters in each
constituency elect their Member of Parliament (MP) in a General Election.
All of the elected MPs form the House of Commons.

Members of the House of Lords, known as peers, are not elected by the
people and do not represent a constituency. Until 1958, all peers were:

• ‘hereditary’, which means they inherited their title, or

• senior judges, or
• bishops of the Church of England.

Since 1958, the Prime Minister has had the power to nominate peers just
for their own lifetime. These are called life peers. They have usually had
an important career in politics, business, law or another profession. Life
peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime
Minister.

Since 1999, hereditary peers have lost the automatic right to attend the
House of Lords. They now elect a few of their number to represent them in
the House of Lords.

The House of Lords is normally more independent of the government than

the House of Commons. It can suggest amendments or propose new laws,
which are then discussed by MPs. The House of Commons has powers to
overrule the House of Lords, but these are not used often.

The government

The Prime Minister

The Prime Minister (PM) is the leader of the political party in power. He or
she appoints the members of the cabinet (see below) and has control over
many important public appointments. The official home of the Prime
Minister is 10 Downing Street, in central London, near the Houses of
Parliament. He or she also has a country house outside London called
Chequers.

The cabinet

The Prime Minister appoints about 20 senior MPs to become ministers in

charge of departments. These include:
 • Chancellor of the Exchequer – responsible for the economy
• Home Secretary – responsible for crime, policing and immigration
• Foreign Secretary - responsible for managing relationships with
foreign
countries
• Other ministers (called ‘Secretaries of State’) responsible for
subjects such
as education, health and defence.

The opposition

The second-largest party in the House of Commons is called the

opposition. The leader of the opposition leads his or her party in pointing
out what they see as the government’s failures and weaknesses. The
leader of the opposition also appoints senior opposition MPs to be ‘shadow
ministers’. They form the shadow cabinet and their role is to challenge
the government and put forward alternative policies.

The party system

Major UK political parties Conservative Party, the Labour Party, the
Liberal Democrats, or one of the parties representing Scottish, Welsh
or Northern Irish interests.

Pressure and lobby groups are organisations which try to influence

government policy. Some are representative organisations such as the CBI
(Confederation of British
Industry), which represents the views of British business. Others campaign
on particular topics, such as the environment (for example, Greenpeace)
or human rights (for example, Liberty).

The civil service

Civil servants support the government in developing and implementing its
policies. They also deliver public services. Civil servants are accountable
to ministers. They are chosen on merit and are politically neutral. Civil
servants are expected to carry out their role with dedication and a
commitment to the civil service and its core values. These are: integrity,
honesty, objectivity and impartiality (including being politically neutral).

Local government
Towns, cities and rural areas in the UK are governed by democratically
elected councils, often called ‘local authorities’. Some areas have both
district and county councils. Many local authorities appoint a mayor, who
is the ceremonial leader of the
council.

Devolved administrations
Since 1997, some powers have been devolved from the central
government to give people in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland more
control over matters that directly affect them. There has been a Welsh
Assembly and a Scottish Parliament since 1999. There is also a Northern
Ireland Assembly, although this has been suspended on a few
occasions. Policy and laws governing defence, foreign affairs,
immigration, taxation and
social security all remain under central UK government control. However,
many other public services, such as education, are controlled by the
devolved administrations.
The devolved administrations each have their own civil service.

The Welsh government

The Welsh government and National Assembly for Wales are based in
Senedd in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The National Assembly has 60
Assembly members (AMs) and elections are held every four years.

The Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament was formed in 1999. It sits in Holyrood
Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. There are 129 members of the
Scottish Parliament (MSPs).

The Northern Ireland Assembly

A Northern Ireland Parliament was established in 1922, when Ireland was
divided, but it was abolished in 1972, shortly after the Troubles broke out
in 1969. The Northern Ireland Assembly was established soon after the
Belfast Agreement (or Good Friday Agreement) in 1998. There is a
power-sharing agreement which distributes ministerial offices amongst
the main parties. The Assembly has 108 elected members, known as
MLAs. The Northern Ireland Assembly building, known as Stormont in
Belfast.

The electoral register

The electoral register is updated every year in September or October.

Standing for office

Most citizens of the UK, the Irish republic or the Commonwealth aged 18
or over can stand for public office. There are some exceptions, including:
• Members of the armed forces
• Civil servants
• People found guilty of certain criminal offences.
Members of the House of Lords may not stand for election to the House of
Commons but are eligible for all other public offices

The Commonwealth

The queen is the ceremonial head of the commonwealth, which currently

has 54 member states. Membership is voluntary. The commonwealth
has no power over its members, although it can suspend
membership.

The European Union

The EU originally called the European economic community (EEC) was
setup by six western European countries who signed treaty of Rom in
1957. UK joined EU in 1973. There are now 27 EU member states.

The council of Europe

The Council of Europe is separate from the EU. It has 47 member
countries, including the UK, and is responsible for the protection and
promotion of human rights in those countries.

The United Nations

The UK is part of the United Nations (UN), an international organization
with more than 190 countries as members.
The UN was set up after the Second World War and aims to prevent war
and promote international peace and security. There are 15 members on
the UN Security Council, which recommends action when there are
international crises and threats to peace. The UK is one of five
permanent members of the Security Council.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

The UK is also a member of NATO. NATO is a group of European and North
American countries that have agreed to help each other if they come
under attack. It also aims to maintain peace between all of its members.

The law in the UK

Laws can be divided into criminal law and civil law. Criminal law relates to
crimes, which are usually investigated by the police or another authority
such as a council, and which are punished by the courts. Civil law is used
to settle disputes between individuals or groups.

Examples of criminal laws are: Carrying a weapon, Drugs, Racial crime,

Selling tobacco to anyone under the age of 18, Smoking in public places,
Buying/ selling alcohol for anyone who is under 18 (There is one
exception: people aged 16 or over can drink alcohol with a meal in a hotel
or restaurant), Drinking in public etc.

Example of civil laws are: Housing law, Consumer rights, Employment law,
Debt.
The police and their duties
The job of the police in the UK is to:
• Protect life and property
• Prevent disturbances (also known as keeping the peace)
• Prevent and detect crime.

The police are organised into a number of separate police forces headed
by Chief Constables. They are independent of the government.

In November 2012, the public elected Police and Crime

Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales. These are directly elected
individuals who are responsible for the delivery of an efficient and
effective police force that reflects the needs of their local communities.
PCCs set local police priorities and the local policing budget. They also
appoint the local Chief Constable.

Police officers are supported by the police community support officers

(PCSOs). PCSOs have different roles according to the area but usually
patrol the streets, work with the public, and support police officers at
crime scenes and major events.

If you are arrested and taken to a police station, a police officer will tell
you the reason for your arrest and you will be able to seek legal advice.

If something goes wrong, the police complaints system tries to put it right.
Anyone can make a complaint about the police by going to a police station
and writing to the Chief Constable of the police force involved. Complaints
can also be made to an independent body: the Independent Police
Complaints Commission in England and Wales, the Police
Complaints Commissioner for Scotland or the Police Ombudsman
for Northern Ireland.
The role of the courts
The judiciary
Judges (who are together called ‘the judiciary’) are responsible for
interpreting the law and ensuring that trials are conducted fairly.

Magistrates’ and Justice of the Peace Courts

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, most minor criminal cases are
dealt with in a Magistrates’ Court. In Scotland, minor criminal offences
go to a Justice of the Peace Court. Magistrates and Justices of the
Peace (JPs) are members of the local community. In England, Wales and
Scotland they usually work unpaid and do not need legal qualifications. In
Northern Ireland, cases are heard by a District Judge or Deputy District
Judge, who is legally qualified and paid.
Crown Courts and Sheriff Courts
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, serious offences are tried in front
of a judge and a jury in a Crown Court. In Scotland, serious cases are
heard in a Sheriff Court with either a sheriff or a sheriff with a jury. The
most serious cases in Scotland, such as murder, are heard at a High
Court with a judge and jury. A jury is made up of members of the public
chosen at random from the local electoral register (see page 134). In
England, Wales and Northern Ireland a jury has 12 members, and
in Scotland a jury has 15 members.

Youth Courts
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, if an accused person is aged 10 to
17, the case is normally heard in a Youth Court in front of up to three
specially trained magistrates or a District Judge. The most serious cases
will go to the Crown Court. The parents or carers of the young person are
expected to attend the hearing. In Scotland a system called the
Children’s Hearings System is used to deal with children and young
people who have committed an offence. Northern Ireland has a system of
youth conferencing to consider how a child should be dealt with when
they have committed an offence.

Civil courts
County Courts
County Courts deal with a wide range of civil disputes. These include
people trying to get back money that is owed to them, cases involving
personal injury, family matters, breaches of contract, and divorce. In
Scotland, most of these matters are dealt with in the Sheriff Court. More
serious civil cases – for example, when a large amount of compensation is
being claimed – are dealt with in the High Court of England, Wales and
Northern Ireland. In Scotland, they are dealt with in the Court of Session in
Edinburgh.

The small claims procedure

The small claims procedure is an informal way of helping people to settle
minor disputes without spending a lot of time and money using a lawyer.
This procedure is used for claims of less than £5,000 in England and Wales
and £3,000 in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Small claims can also be
issued online through Money Claims
Online ([Link]). You can get details about the small
claims procedure from your local County Court or Sheriff Court.

Legal advice
Solicitors
Solicitors are trained lawyers who give advice on legal matters. The
Citizens Advice Bureau ([Link]) can give you
names of local solicitors and which
areas of law they specialise in.