High Court of Parliament

High Court of Parliament
The Meeting Room of the High Court of Parliament in Westminster Hall
Type
Type	Unicameral
Term limits	none
History
Founded	1607 AN
Leadership
Speaker	Sebastian Moncler, (Conservative)
Lord Steward	Robert Vernet, (Conservative)
Leader of the Opposing Benches	George Huntington, (Liberal)
Structure
Seats	60
Political groups	Government (34)      Conservative Party (26)      Verionist Party (8) Opposing Benches (26)      Liberal Party (22)      Ducalist Party (4) Presiding Officer      Speaker (1)
Elections
Voting system	First-past-the-post single-member constituency method
Next election	TBD
Meeting place
Westminster Hall, Baskerville

The High Court of Parliament, also known as the Parliament of Brettish Isles is the unicameral legislature as well as the highest judicial body of the Commonwealth of the Brettish Isles. The parliament was established with the first Constitution of the Brettish Isles in 1607 AN. It has full authority on all matters domestic within the isles.

Powers

The High Court of Parliament is the highest legislative Power in the Brettish Isles. According to its foundation, the High Court of Parliament shall be the supreme government body in the Commonwealth, the highest expression of the popular will, and the embodiment of the people’s sovereignty. The Brettish Isles Accession Treaty limited the powers of Parliament to the domestic sphere, with final authority on international relations and military matters being vested in the Order of the Holy Lakes. The High Court of Parliament also has the power to impeach officers of the Commonwealth by a majority of all Members. The High Court shall have the sole power to try all impeachments.

Procedures

The High Court of Parliament legislates through Acts of Parliament. Subject to the provisions and limitations of this Instrument, Parliament, or a majority of the Members present, may make any law which it considers necessary or beneficial for the peace, prosperity, and good governance of the Brettish Isles (within constitutional and treaty limits). No Act of Parliament shall however hold legal force without the Lord Steward’s Assent. If the Lord Steward refuses to assent to an Act, and yet the same Act is again passed in a subsequent Term, the Speaker of Parliament may promulgate it even if the Lord Steward continue to withholds Assent.

Parliament may also issue Resolutions. Parliament can make internal decisions, state its official opinion on various subjects by means of Resolutions of the House approved by a majority of the Members present. Resolutions are be published by the Speaker, and shall not require the Lord Protector’s assent. They also do not hold legaly binding force.

Parliament shall sit for four Terms in each year, each of approximately three months in duration. These are: Candlemas Term, from January 1 to March 26 inclusive; Whitsun Term, from April 1 to June 25 inclusive; Lady Term, from July 1 to September 25 inclusive; and Martinmas Term, from October 1 to December 20 inclusive.

Compostion

The High Court of Parliament comprises of the Lord Steward, the peers of the Commonwealth, and the elected Members of Parliament sitting and debating together in a single chamber. Upon the beginning of a term, Parliament elects a Speaker from amongst its Members to preside over the proceedings of the House, and to ensure orderly conduct therein. The current procedures ensure a 60-seat parliament, with half of the members (including the Lord Steward) being peers of the Commonwealth and the other half elected.

Current Composition

As of the 1748 elections, the High Court of Parliament has four parties, with no party having an overall majority. The Conservative Party, the largest party in parliament, and the Verionist Party entered into a government agreement shortly after the election. The Liberal Party forms the loyal opposition. The Ducalist Party, a pro-Calbain and pro-monarchist party, is also on the opposing benches.

	Party	Leader	Seats	Positions
	Conservative Party	Robert Vernet	26	Conservatism, Pro-Order Integration, Law and Order
	Liberal Party	George Huntington	22	Liberalism, social reforms, estate taxation
	Verionist Party	Thomas Adair	8	Verionism
	Ducalist Party	Reginald St. Mhor	4	Restoration of the Grand Duchy, pro-Calbain

Historical Composition

First Commonwealth

Commonwealth Party   Lords Party   Conservative Party   Liberal Party   Kentians   Avalonians   Willowshireite		Total seats
First Parliament (1607)	45 15	60
Second Parliament (1609)	42 18	60
Third Parliament (1611)	35 10 10 5	60
Fourth Parliament (1615)	28 20 7 5	60
Fifth Parliament (1621)	25 12 19 4	60
Sixth Parliament (1627)	40 20	60
Seventh Parliament (1634)	25 6 15 14	60

Restored Commonwealth

Conservative Party   Liberal-Realist Party   Verionist Party   Liberal Party   Anti-Ducalist Coalition   Ducalist party		Total seats
First Restored Parliament (1709)	49 11	60
Second Restored Parliament (1715)	32 24 4	60
Third Restored Parliament (1721)	37 17 6	60
Fourth Restored Parliament (1729)	31 27 2	60
Fifth Restored Parliament (1737)	26 8 24 2	60
Sixth Restored Parliament (1648)	26 8 22 4	60

Speaker of Parliament

On the first sitting of a new parliament after the election, a speaker is chosen by Parliament from among its members. In general, though not always, this is a member of peerage and belonging to the largest party in parliament. The speaker shall preside over meetings of Parliament, conduct its divisions, and ensure the proper execution of these Standing Orders. When it is necessary to rule on the interpretation of a Standing Order, however, it shall be done by a Resolution of the House

List of Speakers

The following people have served as speaker of Parliament:

First Commonwealth

The first commonwealth lasted from the foundation of the country in 1605 until its abolition by means of the Lords of Coastalis and subsequent occupation by Batavia and Nova England in 1657.

Name	Tenure	Party	Comment
William Eastward-Hart	1607-1609	Commonwealth Party
Richard Amherst	1609-1611	Commonwealth Party
Lord Alfred Harmsworth of Montague	1611-1615	Commonwealth Party
Reginald Moore of Kent	1615-1621	Kentian
Arthur Rivers of Willowshire	1621-1627	Avalonian
Richard Amherst	1627-1634	Avalonian
Benjamin Rivers	1634-1636	Willowshireite
Kenneth Collingridge	1636-1643	Conservative
Vacant during the Willow Anarchy	1643-1657

Restored Commonwealth

The restored commonwealth period refers to the era in which the Brettish isles regained autonomy under Calbion, which saw the re-establishment of the High Court of Parliament and other institutions of government, in 1709. The fifty years in between are known as the Brettish Dark Ages.

Name	Tenure	Party	Comment
Howard Collingridge	1709-1715	Liberal-Realist
William Lord Rivers	1715-1721	Liberal-Realist
Everett Vernet, Baron of Willow	1721-1729	Conservative
Charles Blanckenberg	1729-1737	Liberal-Realist
Alois de Montfort	1737-1648	Ducalist
Sebastian Moncler	1648-present	Conservative