LibGuides: Law: Legislation

Parliament Websites

www.parliament.uk
Guide to UK Parliamentary business and the making of UK law. Access to the House of Commons, House of Lords, Committees, Debates (via Hansard and Parliament TV, Bills, Legislation etc.)
The Scottish Parliament
Information about the business of the Parliament, how law is made in Scotland and access to The Official Report (transcripts of the meetings of the Scottish Parliament and its committees).

Parliamentary Bills

Debates

Hansard
House of Commons and Lords debates back to the 1990s. Also gives access to 'Historic Hansard' from 1803 - 2004.
parliamentlive.tv
Live and archive recordings of the debates - choose Commons, Lords or All Committees. Finding material is easiest if you know the exact date and time of the debate.
Scottish Parliament Official Report
Transcripts of the debates and business of the Scottish Parliament.
Scottish Parliament News & Parliament TV
Live and archive recordings of debates in the Scottish Parliament.

Recommended Resources for Finding Legislation online

Use these resources to find UK and Scottish Acts/Statutes and Statutory Instruments.

Lexis+ UK This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
BAILII This link opens in a new window
Use BAILII if Westlaw is unavailable.
Full text British and Irish cases, legislation (non-consolidated), Scottish Law Commission reports, and other legal material. Links to international material are included.
Legislation.gov.uk This link opens in a new window
UK Legislation as enacted (non-consolidated) with full coverage from 1988. It includes Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Westlaw provides consolidated legislation.

Queen's Printer for Scotland
Provides access to Scottish legislation post 1999 and to some UK legislation for Scotland. Coverage of UK Acts of Parliament from 1988 and for UK Statutory Instruments from 1997 to the present.
Records of the Parliament of Scotland to 1707
Acts of the Scottish Parliament from 1235 to 1707. Database hosted at St Andrews University.
Chronological Tables of Local Acts and of Private and Personal Acts
List of Local, Private and Personal Acts.

Printed resources: Acts

Westminster Acts
Year	Title	Location
1991-	Current law statutes	REF LAW JF 6 SCO
1949-1990	Scottish current law statutes	REF LAW JF 6 SCO
1949-1996	Public general acts and measures	REF LAW JF 4 PGA
1866-1949	Public general acts and church assembly measures	REF LAW JF 12.2. LAW ACT
1830-1865	Public general statutes	REF LAW JF 4 PGA
Acts of the Scottish Parliament
1999-	Acts of the Scottish Parliaments	REF LAW JF 4 SCO (Recent acts are in boxes next to the dark blue books)

Table of Regnal Years: 1066-1625

Sovereigns	Commencement of Reign	Length of Reign in Years
William I	October 14, 1066	21
William II	September 26, 1087	13
Henry I	August 5, 1100	36
Stephen	December 26, 1135	19
Henry II	December 19, 1154	35
Richard I	September 23, 1189	10
John	May 27, 1199	18
Henry III	October 26, 1216	57
Edward I	November 20, 1272	35
Edward II	July 8, 1307	20
Edward III	January 25, 1326	51
Richard II	June 22, 1377	23
Henry IV	September 30, 1399	14
Henry V	March 21, 1413	10
Henry VI	September 1, 1422	39
Edward IV	March 4, 1461	23
Edward V	April 9, 1483	-
Richard III	June 26, 1483	3
Henry VII	August 22, 1485	24
Henry VIII	April 22, 1509	38
Edward VI	January 28, 1547	7
Mary	July 6, 1553	6
Elizabeth I	November 17, 1558	45
James I	March 24, 1603	23
Charles I	March 27, 1625	24

Table of Regnal Years: 1649-1952

Commonwealth	January 30, 1649	11
Charles II	May 29, 1660	37
James II	February 6, 1685	4
William and Mary	February 13, 1689	14
Anne	March 8, 1702	13
George I	August 1, 1714	13
George II	June 11, 1727	34
George III	October 25, 1760	60
George IV	January 29, 1820	11
William IV	June 26, 1830	7
Victoria	June 20, 1837	64
Edward VII	January 22, 1901	9
George V	May 6, 1910	26
Edward VIII	January 20, 1936	1
George VI	December 11, 1936	15
Elizabeth II	February 6, 1952	-

Search the Library Catalogue

Parliamentary Publications

Parliament publications and records
Use the search box e.g. search for Natural Environment White Paper

Including consultative documents (Green Papers), statement of government policy (White Papers), Bills, Debates, Acts and delegated legislation e.g. Statutory Instruments.

gov.uk [publications]
Use the search box e.g. search for Justice and Security Green Paper, or use the filters e.g. find energy in the Policy Area.

UK Parliamentary Papers (was House of Commons Parliamentary Papers) This link opens in a new window
Previously known as House of Commons Parliamentary Papers, now also includes House of Lords Papers. This is the major gateway to materials relating to parliamentary history of the United Kingdom. Includes full text of House of Commons Parliamentary Papers from 1801 - 2003/04. Covers Bills, House of Commons Papers, Command Papers, Reports of Committees and Commissions, and Accounts and Papers, but not Parliamentary debates. Also House of Lords papers from the 19th century.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Official Publications Archive (NIOPA)
Documentation from all NI depts. Includes the Northern Ireland Assembly giving access to Bills, Official Record (Hansard) etc.