Parliament/Congress

The comparison between the United States and the United Kingdom’s justice systems begins in the differences between their forms of government. The US is a republic, while the UK is a constitutional monarchy. The UK is run by a Prime Minister and a Parliament- though the Head of State is the Monarch, so the Prime Minister is only the head of the government, not the country as a whole. The US is run by a President and Congress, and the President is both Head of State and head of the government. The British Parliament is made up of two houses, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, with a combined membership of over 650, as it is not a fixed amount. US Congress is also comprised of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives, with a combined membership of 485. Comparatively, the Senate and the House of Lords make up the upper chamber, while the House of Representatives and the House of Commons make the lower chambers. Interestingly, while in the US, no Cabinet member may be in Congress, in England, government ministers must belong to a House of Parliament, and if they aren’t already an MP (Member of Parliament) when they take the government position, they’re given a seat in the House of Lords. As such, Parliament plays a big role in the executive branch function in the UK, as well as being the legislative branch. In Congress, both houses must agree in order to pass a new law. In Parliament, the House of Lords can only argue the legislation proposed by the House of Commons, they cannot stop it. Parliament does not employ the separation of powers the way the US does.

The Palace of Westminster, more commonly known as the Houses of Parliament