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Consolidation bill

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A consolidation bill is a bill introduced into the Parliament of the United Kingdom with the intention of consolidating several acts of Parliament or statutory instruments into a single act. Such bills simplify the statute book without significantly changing the state of the law,[1][2] and are subject to an expedited Parliamentary procedure. Once enacted a consolidation bill becomes a consolidation act.

The parliamentary practice of legislating only for small portions of a subject at a time can create undue complexity in statute law. Acts relating to a particular subject often end up scattered over many years, and through the operation of clauses partially repealing or amending former acts, the specific meaning of the law regarding the subject becomes enveloped in intricate or contradictory expressions. For clarity, the law as expressed across many statutes is sometimes recast in a single statute, called a consolidation bill.[3]

By 1911, such bills had been passed dealing with subjects as diverse as customs, stamps and stamp duties, public health, weights and measures, sheriffs, coroners, county courts, housing, municipal corporations, libraries, trustees, copyhold, diseases of animals, merchant shipping, and friendly societies.[3]

These observations apply to the public general acts of the legislature. On the other hand, in settling local acts, such as those relating to railway and canal enterprise, the legislature always inserted certain clauses founded on reasons of public policy applicable to the business in question. To avoid the necessity of constantly re-enacting the same principles in local acts, their common clauses were embodied in separate statutes, and their provisions are ordered to be incorporated in any local act of the description mentioned therein. Such are the Lands Clauses Consolidation Act 1845 (8 & 9 Vict. c. 18),the Companies Clauses Act 1863 and the Railways Clauses Act 1863.[3]

Procedure

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Consolidation bills are introduced in the House of Lords which, by convention, has primacy in these matters. The Lords has the only substantive discussion on the bill, at its second reading, before the bill is sent to the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills, which may propose amendments to it. Subject to this, the Lords' third reading and all readings in the House of Commons are usually formalities and pass without debate.[1]

Most consolidation bills are proposed in the first instance by the Law Commission,[4][5] and it is this prior consideration that gives rise to the expedited process afforded to these bills.[5][6] Every consolidation bill proposed by the Law Commission has been passed by Parliament.[7]

Once a consolidation bill receives royal assent it becomes a consolidation act. An example of a consolidation act is the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000,[8] which consolidated into a single act parts of sentencing legislation previously spread across twelve separate acts.[4] Another example of a consolidation act in relation to sentencing is the Sentencing Act 2020, which significantly replaced many acts in relation to sentencing including the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000.

Categories

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There are five categories of bill that qualify as consolidation bills:[9]

  1. Bills which only re-enact existing law.
  2. Bills which consolidate previous laws with amendments, proposed in response to recommendations from the Law Commission.
  3. Bills to repeal existing legislation, again prepared by the Law Commission.
  4. Bills to repeal various obsolete or unnecessary parts of existing legislation.
  5. Bills which make corrections and minor improvements to existing legislation, prepared under the Consolidation of Enactments (Procedure) Act 1949.

The first three categories now account for almost all consolidation bills.[9]

List of consolidation acts

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No consolidation acts were passed in 2008.[10]

The following are consolidation acts:[11][12]

No consolidation acts were passed in 2004.[13]

The European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002 is a consolidation act.[14]

The Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 (c. 6) is a consolidation act.[15]

No consolidation acts were passed in 1999.[16]

The Petroleum Act 1998 (c. 17) and the Audit Commission Act 1998 (c 18) are consolidation acts.[17] The Audit Commission Act 1998 primarily consolidated the provisions of Part III of the Local Government Finance Act 1982, along with certain other legislation relating to the Audit Commission.[18]

The following are consolidation acts:[19]

The following are consolidation acts:[20]

The following are consolidation acts:[22]

The following are consolidation acts:[23]

The following are consolidation acts:[24]

The following are consolidation acts:[25]

The following are consolidation acts:[26]

The following are consolidation acts:[27]

The following acts are consolidation acts:[28]

The following are consolidation acts:[29]

The Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (c. 26) is a consolidation act.[30]

The following are consolidation acts:[31]

The following are consolidation acts:[32]

The following are consolidation acts:[33]

The following are consolidation acts:[34]

The Pastoral Measure 1983 (No. 1) is a consolidation measure.[35]

The following are consolidation acts:[36]

The following are consolidation acts:[37]

The following are consolidation acts:[38]

The following are consolidation acts:[39]

The following are consolidation acts:[40]

The following are consolidation acts:[41]

The following are consolidation acts:[42]

The following are consolidation acts:[43]

The following are consolidation acts:[44]

The following are consolidation acts:[45]

The following are consolidation acts:[46]

The following are consolidation acts:[47]

The following are consolidation acts:[48]

The following are consolidation acts:[49]

The following are consolidation acts:[50]

The following are consolidation acts:[51]

The following are consolidation acts:[52]

The following are consolidation acts:[53]

The Television Act 1964 (c. 21) and the Licensing Act 1964 (c. 26) are consolidation acts.[54]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Parliamentary Stages of a Government Bill" (PDF). House of Commons Information Office. March 2003. pp. 7–8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 May 2006. Retrieved 15 June 2006.
  2. ^ "Glossary - Parliamentary Jargon Explained". United Kingdom Parliament Website. Archived from the original on 16 May 2006. Retrieved 15 June 2006.
  3. ^ a b c Chisholm 1911.
  4. ^ a b "About Us". The Law Commission. Archived from the original on 11 July 2006. Retrieved 15 June 2006.
  5. ^ a b "Statutory Law and Parliament - Legislative Procedure in the House of Commons". UK Law Online. Centre for Criminal Justice Studies, University of Leeds. October 1998. Retrieved 15 June 2006.
  6. ^ House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution (8 June 2006). Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill - Report With Evidence (PDF). London: The Stationery Office Limited. p. 32.
  7. ^ Stuart Bridge (2003). "Working For Better Law: The Role of the Law Commission". Archived from the original on 24 August 2006. Retrieved 15 June 2006.
  8. ^ Public and General Acts 2000 (chapter 6) (2000). Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000. The Stationery Office Limited. ISBN 0-10-540600-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ a b "Companion to the Standing Orders and guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords". The Stationery Office. 2005. Archived from the original on 14 February 2006. Retrieved 15 June 2006.
  10. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 2008. TSO. 2009. ISBN 9780118404693. Part V (tables and index). Page 3211.
  11. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 2006. TSO. 2007. ISBN 9780118404471. Part VI (tables and index). Pages i, j and 4941. (Each of these acts is a "Consolidation or Tax Law Rewrite Act").
  12. ^ "Tax Law Rewrite" Archived 2006-04-18 at the Wayback Machine. HMRC. (These acts are not Tax Law Rewrite Acts).
  13. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 2004. TSO. ISBN 0 11 840423 7. Part IV (tables and index). Table V. Page i.
  14. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 2002. TSO. 2003. ISBN 0 11 840401 6. Part V (tables and index). Pages i and j.
  15. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 2000. The Stationery Office Limited. 2002. ISBN 0 11 840386 9. Part IV (tables and indexes). Pages h, i, l and i.
  16. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1999. The Stationery Office Limited. 2000. ISBN 0 11 840381 8. Part III (tables and indexes). Page h.
  17. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1998. The Stationery Office Limited. 1999. ISBN 0 11 840373 7. Part IV (tables and indexes). Pages i, j and i.
  18. ^ England and Wales High Court (Administrative Court), Veolia ES Nottinghamshire Ltd v Nottinghamshire County Council & Ors, EWHC 2382 (Admin), section 21, 1 October 2009, accessed 5 June 2023
  19. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1997. The Stationery Office Limited. 1998. ISBN 0 11 840369 9. Part III (tables and index). Pages i, j and i.
  20. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1996. The Stationery Office Limited. 1998. ISBN 0 11 840360 5. Part IV (tables and index). Pages i, j and i.
  21. ^ The Employment Rights (Dispute Resolution) Act 1998, section 1(2)(c), amending section 48 of 1996 c. 17.
  22. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1995. The Stationery Office Limited. 1997. ISBN 0 11 840356 7. Part IV (tables and index). Pages i, j and i.
  23. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1994. HMSO. London. 1995. ISBN 0 11 840337 0. Part IV (tables and index). Pages g and i.
  24. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1993. HMSO. London. 1994. ISBN 0 11 840330 3. Part IV (tables and index). Pages i, j and i.
  25. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1992. HMSO. London. 1993. Part V (tables and index). ISBN 0 11 840323 0. Pages i, j and i.
  26. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1991. HMSO. London. 1993. ISBN 0 11 840314 1. Part IV (tables and index). Pages i, j and i.
  27. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1990. HMSO. London. 1991. ISBN 0 11 840302 8. Part IV (tables and index). Pages i and i.
  28. ^ The Public General Acts 1989. HMSO. London. 1990. ISBN 0 11 840292 7. Part IV (tables and index). Pages i, j and i.
  29. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1988. HMSO. London. 1990. ISBN 0 11 840290 0. Part V (tables and index). Pages i, j and i.
  30. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1987. HMSO. London. 1988. ISBN 0 11 840275 7. Part III (tables and index). Pages i, j and i.
  31. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1986. HMSO. London. 1987. ISBN 0 11 840272 2. Part V (tables and index). Pages k, l and i.
  32. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures Act 1985. HMSO. London. 1986. ISBN 0 11 840256 0. Part V (tables and index). Pages k, l and i.
  33. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1984. HMSO. London. 1985. ISBN 0 11 840244 7. Part IV (tables and index). Pages i, j and i.
  34. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1983. HMSO. London. 1984. ISBN 0 11 840234 X. Part III (tables and index). Pages i, j and i.
  35. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1983. HMSO. London. 1984. ISBN 0 11 840234 X. Page i.
  36. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1982. HMSO. London. 1983. ISBN 0 11 840225 0. Part III (tables and index). Pages i, j and i.
  37. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1981. HMSO. London. ISBN 0 11 840214 5. Part III (tables and index). Pages i, j and i.
  38. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1980. HMSO. London. ISBN 0 11 840200 5. Part IV. Pages i, j and i.
  39. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1979. HMSO. London. ISBN 0 11 840194 7. Part III (tables and index). Pages i, j and i.
  40. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1978. HMSO. London. ISBN 0 11 840185 8. Part III (tables and index). Pages i, j and i.
  41. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1977. HMSO. London. ISBN 0 11 840179 3. Part III (tables and index). Pages i, j and i.
  42. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1976. HMSO. London. ISBN 0 11 840159 9. Part III (tables and index). Pages j, k and i.
  43. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1975. HMSO. London. 1976. Part I. Pages j to l.
  44. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1974. HMSO. London. 1975. ISBN 0 11 840139 4. Part I. Pages i and j.
  45. ^ The Public General Acts 1973. HMSO. London. 1974. ISBN 0 11 840124 6. Part I. Pages i and j.
  46. ^ The Public General Acts and General Synod Measures 1972. HMSO. London. 1973. SBN 11 840114 9. Part I. Pages k and l.
  47. ^ The Public General Acts and Church Assembly Measures 1971. HMSO. London. 1972. Part I. Pages k and l.
  48. ^ The Public General Acts and Church Assembly Measures 1970. HMSO. London. 1971. Part I. Pages k and l.
  49. ^ The Public General Acts and Church Assembly Measures 1969. HMSO. London. 1970. Part I. Pages k and l.
  50. ^ The Public General Acts and Church Assembly Measures 1968. HMSO. London. 1969. Part I. Pages j and k.
  51. ^ The Public General Acts and Church Assembly Measures 1967. HMSO. London. 1968. Part I. Pages j to l. (The footnotes to the acts from c. 32 onwards read "Consolidated Act", but this looks like a typo).
  52. ^ The Public General Acts 1966. HMSO. London. 1966. Pages i and j.
  53. ^ The Public General Acts and Church Assembly Measures 1965. HMSO. London. 1966. Part I. Pages j to l.
  54. ^ The Public General Acts and Church Assembly Measures 1964. HMSO. London. 1965. Volume I. Page j.
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