Meeting of Parliament Act 1797

The Meeting of Parliament Act 1797 (37. Geo. III, c. 127) was an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of Great Britain passed in 1797.

Section 1 established that 14 days were to elapse from the proclamation of a new Parliament to the meeting of Parliament.

Section 3 enacted that in case of the demise of the monarch after one Parliament had been dissolved, but before the day indicated by the Writ of Summons for electing a new Parliament, then the previous Parliament (ie, that which had been dissolved) was to be recalled immediately to Westminster. It would there sit as a parliament for the next six months, to all intents and purposes as though it had not been previously dissolved; it could, however, be dissolved or prorogued at any point during this time by the new monarch. A new writ would be issued, and the election would take place.

Section 5 provided that if the monarch died after the date of the election, then the newly-elected Parliament would meet as normal.

Section 1 was amended in 1943 to remove the 14-day limit. The rest of the Act has been repealed.

References

• Costin, W. C. and Watson, Steven J. (ed.). The Law & Working of the Constitution: Documents 1660-1914. A & C Black, 1952. Vol. II (1784-1914), p. 16.

See also

• Parliament Act 1911
• Prorogation Act 1867
• Representation of the People Act 1918
• Succession to the Crown Act 1707

External links

• Official text of the statute as amended and in force today within the United Kingdom, from the UK Statute Law Database