House of Lords Reform Act 2014

United Kingdom legislation

The House of Lords Reform Act 2014 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom.^[1] The Act was a private member's bill. It received royal assent on 14 May 2014. The Act allows members of the House of Lords to retire or resign – actions previously constitutionally impossible for life peers.^[a] It also makes provision to exclude members who commit serious criminal offences resulting in a jail sentence of at least one year, and members who fail to attend the House for a whole session. The Act does not have retrospective effect.

As of September 2024^[update], 187 peers have resigned or retired, and a further 16 peers were removed under the Act's provisions regarding non-attendance. The first peer to resign was Julian Grenfell, 3rd Baron Grenfell, on 1 October 2014.

Amongst other things, this Act provides for the right of peers to resign from the House of Lords, whilst keeping their title and style. Section 4(5) states that those who have resigned or been removed from the House of Lords can stand or re-stand as MPs. To date, no such person has become an MP.

Peers removed for non-attendance under the provisions of the Act

See also

• Reform of the House of Lords (details reform proposals put forward since 1997)
• History of reform of the House of Lords (details reforms enacted since the 16th century)

• House of Lords Act 1999 (whose provisions were amended by the 2014 Act)
• Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 (five Lords resigned through this Act)
• House of Lords (Expulsion and Suspension) Act 2015
• List of members of the House of Lords#Resigned

External links

• "List of Peers who have resigned". Peerages.info.

Notes

1. Under the provisions of the Peerage Act 1963, hereditary peers can effectively resign from the House of Lords by disclaiming their peerage, but this procedure has only been used once since the House of Lords Act 1999 removed automatic membership of hereditary peers in that House.

References

1. "House of Lords Reform Act 2014", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 2014 c. 24
2. "Lord Bridges". UK Parliament.
3. "Lord Neill of Bladen". UK Parliament.
4. "Lord Thomas of Macclesfield". UK Parliament.
5. "Baroness Thomas of Walliswood". UK Parliament.
6. "Baroness Turner of Camden". UK Parliament.
7. "Lord Wolfson of Sunningdale". UK Parliament.
8. "Lord Selsdon". UK Parliament.
9. "Lord Rogers of Riverside". UK Parliament.
10. "Lord Bhatia". UK Parliament.
11. "Lord Dixon-Smith". UK Parliament.
12. "Lord Willoughby de Broke". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
13. "Lord Prescott". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
14. "Lord Davies of Oldham". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
15. "Baroness Corston". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
16. "Lord Black of Crossharbour". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
17. "Lord Kalms". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 July 2024.