THE BRIEF ONTOLOGY AND TRADITIONS OF THE ENGLISH PARLIAMENT
THE BRIEF ONTOLOGY AND TRADITIONS OF THE ENGLISH PARLIAMENT

Summary/Abstract: The article provides a brief outline of the history of the English Parliament with its long traditions and customs. The UK Parliament is one of the oldest representative to be established in the world, having its origins in the middle of the 13th century. From the 14th century, parliamentary government in the United Kingdom has been based on a two-chamber system. The House of Lords (the upper house) and the House of Commons (the lower house) which sit separately and are constituted on entirely different principles. The relationship between the two Houses is governed largely by convention but is in part defined by the Parliament Acts. The legislative process involves both Houses of Parliament and the Monarch. In the beginning, Great Britain was an absolute monarchy, but in the 17th century, tensions increased between parliament and monarch. Civil War broke out the following year, leading to the execution of King Charles 1 in January 1649. Following the restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, the role of parliament was enhanced by the events of 1688-89 (the ‘Glorious Revolution’) which established the authority of Parliament over the King. The state political system became to be Parliament monarchy. Nowadays the Monarch is no more but a symbol and tradition of the nation. The British Parliament is often referred to as the «mother of all parliaments» because the legislatures of many countries, especially those of the British Commonwealth, are modeled after it. The traditions of Parliament, which originated hundreds of years ago, are still carefully observed and remembered by all Englishmen.

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