So - the 1623 today..........why was there no service alterations

[whole diary]

[TerminalJunkie]

It is true. After passing through the house of Commons and Lords, she has the final say - the "Royal Assent."

But that's not what you originally said; you said:

The Queen has to sign every law

...which isn't true, and hasn't been since at least the middle of the nineteenth century (when the Clerk to the Parliaments started to add his signature to authenticate them), and probably not since 1497.

And we* shouldn't forget that Royal Assent is normally granted by the Lords Commissioners acting on behalf of (and therefore not bothering) HRH, and that - thanks to the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949 - some Bills can be presented for Assent by the Commons without being passed by the Lords.

It's also the case that Statutory Instruments - which are just as much law as Acts of Parliament - require no Royal Assent at all.


Anyway, to try to get this back on-topic, by a strange coincidence the last three times any significant questions were raised about the constitutional status of Acts passed be Parliament were: British Railways Board v Pickin in 1974, Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway v Wauchope in 1842, and Lee v Bude and Torrington Railway Co. in 1871. I'll leave the fun of looking up the case details to you!


* - not the Pluralis Majestatis

[Btline]

Yes, but I assumed that the Royal Assent meant she signed it.

[G.Uard]

Poor old Betty Windsor, what has she done to deserve.......?

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) Parliament website:

When a Bill has completed all its parliamentary stages, it needs Royal Assent from the Queen before it can become law. Bills that receive Royal Assent become Acts of Parliament.
 
Does the Queen give Royal Assent in person?

Although the Queen can give Royal Assent in person, this has not happened since 1854. The Queen's agreement to give her Assent to a Bill is automatic. The last time Royal Assent was refused was in 1707-08 when Queen Anne refused her Assent to a Bill for settling the militia in Scotland.

How is Royal Assent announced?

When Royal Assent has been given to a Bill, the Speaker in the Commons and the Lord Speaker in the Lords announce the Royal Assent at a suitable break in each House's proceedings.

The exception to this procedure is at prorogation, when Black Rod interrupts the proceedings of the Commons and summons MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) to the Lords Chamber to hear the Lords Commissioners announce Royal Assent for each Bill.

For full details, see http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/laws/stages/royal.cfm

C.