Inside Parliament
The Parliament of Genovia is made up of two houses and is responsible for the legislation of Genovia. The House of Commons is the largest and represents the people, while the House of Lords represents the Queen.
Parliament Members
There are two houses within the Genovian Parliament, and each house has a specific number of Parliament Members. The House of Commons has 162 Members of Parliament (MP), each representing the 49 constituencies of Genovia, while the House of Lords has 21 Lords and Ladies of the House of Lords, each representing the 21 counties of Genovia.
Balance of Powers
In Genovia, the "power" is shared between the Queen and the people. Specifically in Parliament, the interests of both are represented in their respective Houses -- the House of Commons for the people, and the House of Lords for the Queen. The people elect Members of Parliament (MP) every two years, while the Queen appoints Lords and Ladies to the House of Lords for life. In order to create Acts of Parliament, both houses must come to a 2/3 majority agreement to 'vote to proceed'.
Acts of Parliament & Sessions of Parliament
Acts of Parliament: In Parliament, any official document containing legislation - that is any rules, laws, policies, and parliamentary orders is referred to as an Act of Parliament.
Sessions of Parliament: Any official meeting held by a quorum of Parliamentary Members (19 for HoL and 150 for HoC) and presided over by the House Officials is considered a Session of Parliament and must be documented in its entirety with no items being left out of the House Circular. During a Session of Parliament, the Speaker of the House has authority over the members. A Session of Parliament to the Second Degree is when a House meets separate from the other. A Session of Parliament to the First Degree is when both Houses meet in a joint session, usually presided over by the Queen.
Sessions of Parliament: Any official meeting held by a quorum of Parliamentary Members (19 for HoL and 150 for HoC) and presided over by the House Officials is considered a Session of Parliament and must be documented in its entirety with no items being left out of the House Circular. During a Session of Parliament, the Speaker of the House has authority over the members. A Session of Parliament to the Second Degree is when a House meets separate from the other. A Session of Parliament to the First Degree is when both Houses meet in a joint session, usually presided over by the Queen.
The Parliamentarian Robes
MPs and Lords of Parliament wear ceremonial Parliamentarian Robes during Sessions of Parliament. These robes date back to the founding of Parliament and are either blue or red for either the House of Commons or House of Lords, respectively. The Speaker of the House of Commons and Lords still wear the ceremonial long wigs to separate them from other members, but this fashion is no longer practiced by the MPs and Lords.
How Parliament creates Acts
To learn how Parliament makes an Act, click on the PDF below.