The Media opinion

• This is because the politicians want to stay in power is if they pass a bill that the public hates they are less likely to be voted in again.

• The public’s opinion heavily affects every act of parliament as if there is public outer the Members of Parliaments will take it into consideration

• People opinions can be easily changed. Also, some people are more likely to follow a crowd so if a large percentage of their community vote a specific way they are more likely to follow

Advantages:

• You can use the media to your advantage
• Communicating are more likely to have similar opinions
• It is democratic

Disadvantage:

• The media is triggered
• FAKE NEWS

Evaluation of the process of legislation

Advantage (M.I.S.E.R)

• Makes good law
• Independent
• Self- investigation
• Expertise
• Research
• Independent body, ensuring that all law is kept under review and not just those areas the government wants to focus on

Disadvantage (C.O.L.L.I)

• Consultation – no
• Obligation – no
• Long and lengthy
• Lack of thoroughness
• Implementation – non
• Many of its recommendations about one third are not implemented

Facts of Royal Commission

• Royal Commissions set up to investigate or report on one specific area of law. They are dissolved after they have completed their task
• Manyof its recommendations were given effect by the Police and criminal evidence Act 1984. However, the government does not always act on recommendations, as seen with the Pearson Commission on Personal Injury cases which reported in 1978
• Since 2000, there have been no royal Commissions

Royal Commission:

The aim is …

• Independent permanent full-time
• Keep under review all the law
• Act 1965

How are the set up?

• Chairman
• Commission

The aim under 5.3 of the act

• To keep review of all the law

Main Function

1. Codification
   a. Bringing together an Act of Parliament
   b. Draft Criminal Law 1989
   c. Murder and Homicide 2006
   d. Coroners and Justice Act 2009
   e. Influences on Parliament the Law Commission
2. Consolidation
   a. Many acts of parliament statute
   b. 1 Act of parliament
   c. Education act 1996
3. Repeal
   a. Old law  removes (not rather use)
4. Modernization

Research – working paper –Consultation – Report

Pressure Groups have a variety of methods ranging from petitions and violence
The more media coverage the pressure group gets, the more effective it will be.

Advantage:
Pressure groups raise awareness of matters affecting their interes or cause, whereas Parliament may be consumed with debating issues on the Governments political agenda

Some pressure groups have huge memberships which exceed those of the main political parties, and are able to raise issues of importance to large numbers of people

They may have sound knowledge and expertise in their interest or cause, so law entaced as a result of their influence will benefit from that

Disadvantage:
They are inevitably biased in favour of their interest or cause and may not therefore represent an objective, balanced argument.

As pressure groups often feel passionately about their cause, they may resort to undesirable tactics including criminal acts.

Opinions held by pressure groups may represent a small minority of the population, but if influential may still succeed in changing the law

Pressure groups may have conflicting interests eg the League Against Cruel Sports wanted fox hunting banned, but the Countryside Alliance did not. The Hunting Act 2004 banned fox hunting.

The media’s influence on parliament:

The media is classified as sources that shares information such as television, social media, news paper etc.

Newspapers such as The sun have exploited their vast reader population to spread propaganda for the Conservative Party encouraging people to vote Tory in the election.

Another way that newspapers pushed parliament for a change was “Sarah’s Law” which was the improvement of the shared information within communities of known sex offenders and pedophiles.

Facebook in 2014, and similarly in the UK general election of 2017, put in place a feature that reminded users of election day; building a sense of political identity into Facebook which may have possibly influence the minds of a specific demographic of voters.

Advantage

• The media may both represent public opinion and influence public opinion. Member’s of the public can make their views known to Parliament by contacting the media. Equally matters of concern can be highlighted to the public by the media. In each case government awareness is raised.
• Ultimately the government is answerable to the electorate and will therefore be influenced by the media/public opinion

Disadvantage

• The media may manipulate the news and unduly influence public opinion.
• The government may respond too quickly to high profile incident leading to a “kneejerk” reaction as happened ehen the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 was introduced. This poorly drafted Act led to many disputed cases and an amending Act had to be introduced five years later.

Political Parties

Advantages

• When a government is formed, it will have a programme of reforms it wishes to carry out.

Disadvantages

• If a government has a small majority it may be restricted in what laws it can propose or successfully introduce into Parliament. Similarly in a coalition government (as happened in 2010-2015 when the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties formed a Government there will inevitably to be comprise.
• If a different party is elected at the next general election, they may decide to repeal or change the laws of the previous government which can be costly and cause uncertainty.

Lobbyist

Advantage:

• Lobbyist bring a range of issues to the attention of MPs which may lead to a debate in Parliament and bring pressure to change or amend the law
  Disadvantage
• Financially successful businesses or other organisations have more influence than ordinary

Pressure group

• The meaning of pressure groups
• Insider pressure groups and example and how they can influence
• Outsider pressure groups and example and how they can influence
• Sectional groups and example and how they can influence
• Examples of campaigns – successful or unsuccessful

For the Law Commission

• Who works for the commission
• How it works in investigating issues/reviewing the law with possible example
• Its role in codying law with possible example