Parliamentary agent

Last updated

Parliamentary agents are solicitors who are licensed (together with the firms they belong to) by the Houses of Parliament in the United Kingdom to draft, promote or oppose private bills. Private bills are a specific class of legislation promoted by organisations outside Parliament to obtain powers for themselves that differ from the general law.

Contents

History

In 1836, due to the obvious conflict of interest, the Clerks of the House were debarred from carrying out what had been a lucrative line of agency work. [1] Parliamentary agents expanded into the space left by the clerks and formed the Society of Parliamentary Agents in 1840. [2]

The high point for parliamentary agency work was during the mid 19th century during the rise of the railway industry, as these companies often needed parliamentary powers in building and running their operations. This was a source of political controversy, since railway directors were becoming seen to be overly powerful, leading the prime minister at the time, William Ewart Gladstone, to identify parliamentary agents as ‘the deeper power in opposition’. [3]

Today

As private bills make up a very small proportion of contemporary legislation, with most legislation being sponsored by the government and thus drafted and supported by the Civil Service, the work of parliamentary agents has relatively diminished and there are now only seven firms of parliamentary agents: [4] BDB Pitmans LLP, employing five Roll A agents, Winckworth Sherwood LLP and Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP (formerly Rees & Freres), each employing three Roll A agents, Sharpe Pritchard LLP, employing two Roll A agents and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, Pinsent Masons LLP and Veale Wasbrough Vizards LLP who each have one Roll A agent.

It is also possible for any person to become a Roll B parliamentary agent for the purpose of opposing a single bill in Parliament. Such a person must either be a solicitor or have "a certificate of respectability".

Much of the work of parliamentary agents, as experts in the legislative process and Whitehall and Westminster political culture, would now come under the profession of political consultancy, although the remaining parliamentary agents are now billed as law firms first and parliamentary agents second. However, the largest of the seven firms, Bircham Dyson Bell, has developed a political consultancy business within its legal practice, thus giving it the rare distinction of most of its political consultants also being qualified lawyers.

Parliamentary agents can observe House of Commons proceedings from the under gallery near the entrance to the chamber. [5]

The City Remembrancer is a Roll A parliamentary agent. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament of the United Kingdom</span> Supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster in London. Parliament possesses legislative supremacy and thereby holds ultimate power over all other political bodies in the United Kingdom and the Overseas Territories. While Parliament is bicameral, it has three parts: the sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. The three parts acting together to legislate may be described as the King-in-Parliament. The Crown normally acts on the advice of the prime minister, and the powers of the House of Lords are limited to only delaying legislation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish Parliament</span> Devolved parliament of Scotland

The Scottish Parliament is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyrood. The Parliament is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), elected for five-year terms under the regionalised form of additional member system (MMP): 73 MSPs represent individual geographical constituencies elected by the plurality (first-past-the-post) system, while a further 56 are returned as list members from eight additional member regions. Each region elects seven party-list MSPs. Each region elects 15 to 17 MSPs in total. The most recent general election to the Parliament was held on 6 May 2021, with the Scottish National Party winning a plurality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Commons of Canada</span> Lower house of the Canadian Parliament

The House of Commons of Canada is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada.

An act of parliament, as a form of primary legislation, is a text of law passed by the legislative body of a jurisdiction. In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of parliament begin as a bill, which the legislature votes on. Depending on the structure of government, this text may then be subject to assent or approval from the executive branch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statutory instrument (UK)</span> Type of secondary legislation in the United Kingdom

A statutory instrument (SI) is the principal form in which delegated legislation is made in Great Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Hunter (civil servant)</span>

Sir Robert Hunter was a solicitor, civil servant and co-founder of the National Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service</span> Independent public prosecution service for Scotland

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is the independent public prosecution service for Scotland, and is a Ministerial Department of the Scottish Government. The department is headed by His Majesty's Lord Advocate, who under the Scottish legal system is responsible for prosecution, along with the sheriffdom procurators fiscal. In Scotland, virtually all prosecution of criminal offences is undertaken by the Crown. Private prosecutions are extremely rare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrorism Act 2006</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Terrorism Act 2006 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that received royal assent on 30 March 2006, after being introduced on 12 October 2005. The Act creates new offences related to terrorism, and amends existing ones. The Act was drafted in the aftermath of the 7 July 2005 London bombings, and some of its terms have proven to be highly controversial. The government considered the act a necessary response to an unparalleled terrorist threat; it has encountered opposition from those who feel that it is an undue imposition on civil liberties, and could increase the terrorism risk.

The Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee is a committee of UK parliamentarians. Members are drawn from the House of Lords. The committee has several primary functions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schillings</span> International reputation and privacy consultancy

Schillings is an international reputation and privacy consultancy staffed by reputation, privacy and family lawyers, risk consulting, cyber security and intelligence specialists. The company is an Alternative Business Structure (ABS) and is regulated and authorized by the United Kingdom's Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). It employs 33 lawyers, risk managers, and IT security consultants and offers services covering risk consulting, legal services, and IT security.

A legislative assistant (LA), legislative analyst, legislative research assistant, or legislative associate, is a person who works for a legislator as a legislative staffer in a semi-political partisan capacity, in a non-partisan capacity at a think tank, research library, law library, law firm, trade associations, consulting firm or non-profit organization, or at a government agency as a legislative affairs professional, or in the government relations, regulatory affairs, public procurement (PP), public-private partnership (P3), and business-to-government (B2G) industries in service of the employing organization by monitoring pending legislation, conducting research, legislative analysis, legislative research, legal research, policy analysis, drafting legislation, giving advice and counsel, making recommendations, and performing some secretarial duties. There is a diverse array of work experiences attainable within the legislative assistance, legislative affairs, and legislative relations field, ranging between internship, entry-level, associate, junior, mid-senior, and senior level positions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Act of Parliament (United Kingdom)</span> Primary legislation in the United Kingdom

An Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom is primary legislation passed by the UK Parliament in Westminster, London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City Remembrancer</span>

The Remembrancer is one of the City of London Corporation’s Chief Officers; the role dates back to 1571. His traditional role is as the channel of communications between the Lord Mayor and the City of London on the one hand and the Sovereign, Royal Household and Parliament on the other. The Remembrancer is also the city's Ceremonial Officer and Chief of Protocol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Local and personal acts of Parliament (United Kingdom)</span> United Kingdom legislation

Local and personal acts are laws in the United Kingdom which apply to a particular individual or group of individuals, or corporate entity. This contrasts with a public general Act of Parliament (statute) which applies to the nation-state. Acts of Parliament can afford relief from another law; grant a unique benefit or, grant powers not available under the general law; or, relieve someone from legal responsibility for some allegedly wrongful act.

<i>Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice</i> Manual of UK Parliamentary procedure

Erskine May is a parliamentary authority originally written by British constitutional theorist and Clerk of the House of Commons, Thomas Erskine May.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of the United Kingdom</span> Central executive authority of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The government of the United Kingdom is the central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The government is led by the prime minister who selects all the other ministers. The country has had a Labour government since 2024. The prime minister Keir Starmer and his most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision-making committee, known as the Cabinet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (FTPA) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which, for the first time, set in legislation a default fixed election date for general elections in the United Kingdom. It remained in force until 2022, when it was repealed. Since then, as before its passage, elections are required by law to be held at least once every five years, but can be called earlier if the prime minister advises the monarch to exercise the royal prerogative to do so. Prime ministers have often employed this mechanism to call an election before the end of their five-year term, sometimes fairly early in it. Critics have said this gives an unfair advantage to the incumbent prime minister, allowing them to call a general election at a time that suits them electorally. While it was in force, the FTPA removed this longstanding power of the prime minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Rogers, Baron Lisvane</span> Clerk of the House of Commons

Robert James Rogers, Baron Lisvane,, FLSW is a British life peer and retired public servant. He served as Clerk of the House of Commons from October 2011 until August 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018</span> United Kingdom law

The Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The act addresses policy issues related to attacks on emergency workers, especially government-employed officers, and defines specific offences on such workers. It was introduced to Parliament as a private member's bill by Chris Bryant. The act received Royal Assent on 13 November 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Act 2021</span> United Kingdom law

The Covert Human Intelligence Sources Act 2021 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The act makes provision for the use of undercover law enforcement agents and covert sources and the committing of crimes in the undertaking of their duty. It was also referred to as the "Spy Cops Bill" – a reference to the UK undercover policing relationships scandal.

References

  1. Latham, R. (1956) 'The Clerical Organization of the House of Commons, 1661-1850', The English Historical Review, 71 (278), 104-108.
  2. Olney, R. (1982) 'The Parliamentary Agents. A History', The English Historical Review, 97 (382), 238.
  3. McLean, I. (2002) 'The origin and strange history of regulation in the UK: three case studies in search of a theory', Workshop Paper.
  4. "Parliamentary Agents". UK Parliament. May 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Written Answers to Questions - City of London Remembrancer". Hansard. UK Parliament. 3 March 2014. 3 Mar 2014 : Column 593W. Retrieved 28 October 2014.