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 (i.e. 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 The rest of the Act has been repealed.
Famous quotes containing the words meeting of, meeting, parliament and/or act:
“When one drinks with a friend, a thousand cups are not enough, but when there is no meeting of minds, half a sentence can be too much.”
—Chinese proverb.
“New York, you are an Egypt! But an Egypt turned inside out. For she erected pyramids of slavery to death, and you erect pyramids of democracy with the vertical organ-pipes of your skyscrapers all meeting at the point of infinity of liberty!”
—Salvador Dali (1904–1989)
“A Parliament is that to the Commonwealth which the soul is to the body.... It behoves us therefore to keep the facility of that soul from distemper.”
—John Pym (1584–1643)
“The moment the very name of Ireland is mentioned, the English seem to bid adieu to common feeling, common prudence, and common sense, and to act with the barbarity of tyrants, and the fatuity of idiots.”
—Sydney Smith (1771–1845)