House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975

House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to consolidate certain enactments relating to disqualification for membership of the House of Commons.
Statute book chapter	1975 c. 24
Territorial extent	United Kingdom
Dates
Royal Assent	8 May 1975
Status: Current legislation

The House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that prohibits certain categories of people from becoming members of the House of Commons. It was an updated version of similar older acts, including the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1957.

Some of the prohibited groups at the time the Act first came into effect were:

• judges
• serving regular members of the armed forces
• civil servants
• ordained ministers
• members of legislatures of non-Commonwealth countries (except for Ireland, pursuant to the Disqualifications Act 2000)

This Act has been updated by subsequent legislation. Since the House of Commons (Removal of Clergy Disqualification) Act 2001, no clergy except for Church of England bishops (see Lords Spiritual) are now prohibited from serving. Section 10 of this Act was repealed by section 1 of, and Schedule 2 to, that Act.

See also

• Resignation from the British House of Commons

External links

• Official text of House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 as amended and in force today within the United Kingdom, from the UK Statute Law Database
• Guildford Borough Council: PDF copy of the act (with notes and amendments)