Meeting of Parliament Act 1797

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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 (ie, 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 The rest of the Act has been repealed.

[edit] References

Costin, W. C. and Watson, Steven J. (ed.). The Law & Working of the Constitution: Documents 1660-1914. A & C Black, 1952. Vol. II (1784-1914), p. 16.