Legislative assembly of Britain and of other governments modeled after it. The British Parliament consists of the monarch, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons, and traces its roots to the union (&circa; 1300) of the Great Council and the King's Court, two bodies that treated with and advised the king.
In the 14th century, Parliament was split into two houses, with the lords spiritual and temporal (i.e., not only the nobility but also high officials of the church) debating in one and the knights and burgesses in the other. In the 14th century Parliament also began to present petitions (“bills”) to the king, which with his assent would become law. Robert Walpole was the first party leader to head the government as prime minister (1721–42). &Seealso; parliamentary democracy.
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