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If Parliament abolished itself

I assume Parliament could pass a law to abolish itself, due to parliamentary sovereignty.

If then Parliament did abolish itself, surely it couldn't undo that by repealing the law, since there would be no such thing as Parliament?
Reply 1
Avatar for SaraWarah
SaraWarah
Original post by 122025278
I assume Parliament could pass a law to abolish itself, due to parliamentary sovereignty.

If then Parliament did abolish itself, surely it couldn't undo that by repealing the law, since there would be no such thing as Parliament?


I don't see anything wrong with your argument. Is there anything suggesting something to the contrary which inspired your creation of this thread?
Parliament can not write a law that binds any future parliaments. But technically since there aren't any future parliaments I suppose it could work, interesting thought.
Reply 3
Avatar for gladders
gladders
16
Interesting proposition. I think, however, that as the Queen still technically has the power to repeal legislation by fiat (although it hasn't been exercised since James VII), she could therefore simply repeal the law or at least suspend its enforcement, and then have a new Parliament repeal it formally.
Reply 4
Avatar for Arbolus
Arbolus
13
If there were an act abolishing Parliament altogether, not just dissolving a session, then its sovereignty would revert to the Queen in the absence of any higher authority. There would then be nothing preventing her from independently using her power of royal charter to establish a new legislature, which might use the same name, be based in the same building and have exactly the same structure and powers.

So this is kind of a moot question, because even if there were a way for Parliament to abolish itself there would be no way for it to ensure the abolishment would be permanent. In real terms I don't think the effect on the country would be any different to if the legislature were merely dissolved for a few weeks before an election.

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