Parliamentary ping-pong

Before a Bill can receive the Royal Assent and become law, it must be passed in its final form by both the Commons and the Lords without changes.

The need for legislation, and associated time pressure, arose from the court case A v Secretary of State for the Home Department.

Ten individuals suspected of terrorism had been detained indefinitely under Part IV of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.

The judgment effectively set a deadline of 14 March 2005 for Parliament to pass alternative legislation which could be applied to the suspects without violating their human rights.

[2] The timetable was: A compromise was eventually agreed, involving annual reviews of the law rather than a full sunset clause.