The law in Britain is made in a variety of ways. Many of 
the rules by which we live our lives come from the 
Common Law, which has evolved over centuries from 
judgements in court. More recently, we have added laws 
that come from the European Parliament in Brussels. 
But the vast majority of new laws come about as the 
result of an Act of Parliament.

Of these, almost all are based on bills sponsored by the 
Government, and announced in the Queen's Speech. Each bill 
has to pass through a defined series of stages before it becomes law - 
and consequently much of the day-to-day business of the House is taken up with debates and detailed work on these Bills. Bills can start in either House - a proportion will begin in the House of Lords.