A bill to resolve the constitutional dilemma caused by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom by abolishing it and restoring the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary.

 

BE IT ENACTED by The Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, in accordance with the provisions of the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

 

1: Reinstatement of the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary
(1) Sections 23 to 60 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 will be repealed.
(2) Section 137 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 will be repealed
(3) All other amendments to the procedure, make-up, duty and other relevant factors of the Supreme Court will continue to apply insofar as they are applicable.
(4) Current justices of the Supreme Court shall continue to serve the remainder of their terms as Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, hereby referred to as "Law Lords".

 

2: Configuration of the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary
(1) At any one time the number of Law Lords must be at least twelve.
(2) At any one time the number of Law Lords cannot exceed seventeen.
(3) At any one time the number of Law Lords who served their qualifying time in the jurisdiction of England and Wales must be at least six.
(4) At any one time the number of Law Lords who served their qualifying time in the jurisdiction of Scotland must be at least three.
(5) At any one time the number of Law Lords who served their qualifying time in the jurisdiction of Northern Ireland must be at least three.
(6) If the members of the Supreme Court do fulfill those requirements on the date the bill comes into effect the necessary appointments will be made in accordance with the appropriate process.

 

3: Exclusive jurisdiction
(1) The Law Lords are empowered to determine a case will only have precedence in one jurisdiction.
(2) A vote for exclusive precedence will be called by the most senior Law Lord on the case at their discretion.
(3) The vote must have a majority of the sitting Law Lords and a majority from the Law Lords who served their qualifying time in the relevant jurisdiction to pass.
(4) All Law Lords sitting on the case must vote.
(5) The neutral citations for a case determined to exist in an exclusive jurisdiction will be as follows;

• For England and Wales the citation will be UKHL EW.
  
• For Scotland the citation will be UKHL Sc.
• For Northern Ireland the citation will be UKHL NI.

 

4: Extent, Commencement, and Short Title
(1) This Act shall extend to the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
(2) This Act shall come into force on the date of the first opening of Parliament after passage.
(3) This Act may be cited as the Law Lords Act of 2015

This was submitted by /u/OctogenarianSandwich on behalf of the Vanguard.

The discussion period for this reading will end on the 2nd of December.