Editing House of Lords (section)

==Officers==
Traditionally the House of Lords did not elect its own speaker, unlike the House of Commons; rather, the ''ex officio'' presiding officer was the Lord Chancellor. With the passage of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the post of [[Lord Speaker]] was created, a position to which a peer is elected by the House and subsequently appointed by the Crown. The first Lord Speaker, elected on 4 May 2006, was [[Helene Hayman, Baroness Hayman]], a former Labour peer. As the Speaker is expected to be an impartial presiding officer, Hayman resigned from the Labour Party.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/principal/interviews/lordspeaker.cfm |title=Interview with the Lord Speaker |publisher=[[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]|access-date=25 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090126184819/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/principal/interviews/lordspeaker.cfm |archive-date=26 January 2009}}</ref> In 2011, [[Frances D'Souza, Baroness D'Souza]] was elected as the second Lord Speaker, replacing Hayman in September 2011.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14190737|title=Baroness D'Souza elected Lord Speaker|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=21 May 2012}}</ref> D'Souza was in turn succeeded by [[Norman Fowler, Baron Fowler|Norman Fowler, Lord Fowler]] in September 2016, who served as Lord Speaker until his resignation in April 2021. He was [[2021 Lord Speaker election|succeeded as Lord Speaker]] by [[John McFall, Baron McFall of Alcluith|John McFall, Lord McFall of Alcluith]], who is the incumbent Lord Speaker.

This reform of the post of Lord Chancellor was made due to the perceived constitutional anomalies inherent in the role. The Lord Chancellor was not only the Speaker of the House of Lords, but also a member of the Cabinet, and the most senior judge in England and Wales; his or her department, formerly the Lord Chancellor's Department, is now called the Ministry of Justice. The Lord Chancellor is no longer the head of the judiciary of England and Wales. Hitherto, the Lord Chancellor was part of all three branches of government: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. The only other person in such a position is the monarch, as the formal source of all executive authority, the [[King-in-Parliament]] who grants [[royal assent]] to laws, and appointer of judges; but whereas the monarch's actions are strictly limited by [[Constitutional conventions of the United Kingdom|convention]], the Lord Chancellor's were not, a situation which offended against the principle of [[separation of powers]].

The overlap of the legislative and executive roles is a characteristic of the [[Westminster system]], as the entire cabinet consists of members of the House of Commons or the House of Lords; however, in June 2003, the Blair Government announced its intention to abolish the post of Lord Chancellor because of the office's mixed executive and judicial responsibilities. The abolition of the office was rejected by the House of Lords, and the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 was thus amended to preserve the office of Lord Chancellor. The Act no longer guarantees that the office holder of Lord Chancellor is the presiding officer of the House of Lords, and therefore allows the House of Lords to elect a speaker of their own.

[[File:Charles Pepys, 1st Earl of Cottenham by Charles Robert Leslie.jpg|thumb|right|[[Charles Pepys, 1st Earl of Cottenham|Charles Pepys]] as Lord Chancellor. The lord chancellor wore black-and-gold robes whilst presiding over the House of Lords.]]
The lord speaker may be replaced as presiding officer by one of his or her deputies. The [[Senior Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords#Chairmen of Committees|chairman of committees]], the principal deputy chairman of committees, and several chairmen are all deputies to the lord speaker, and are all appointed by the House of Lords itself at the beginning of each session. By custom, the Crown appoints each chairman, principal deputy chairman and deputy chairman to the additional office of Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/deputy-speakers/|title=Deputy Speakers|publisher=[[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]|access-date=2 July 2011}}</ref> There was previously no legal requirement that the lord chancellor or a deputy speaker be a member of the House of Lords (though the same has long been customary).

Whilst presiding over the House of Lords, the lord chancellor traditionally wore ceremonial black and gold robes. Robes of black and gold are now worn by the lord chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice in the House of Commons, on ceremonial occasions. This is no longer a requirement for the lord speaker except for state occasions outside of the chamber. The speaker or deputy speaker sits on the [[Woolsack]], a large red seat stuffed with wool, at the front of the Lords Chamber.

When the House of Lords resolves itself into committee (see below), the Chairman of Committees or a Deputy Chairman of Committees presides, not from the Woolsack, but from a chair at the [[Table of the House]]. The presiding officer has little power compared to the [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker of the House of Commons]]. The presiding officer only acts as the mouthpiece of the House, performing duties such as announcing the results of votes. This is because, unlike in the House of Commons where all statements are directed to "Mr/Madam Speaker", in the House of Lords they are directed to "My Lords"; i.e., the entire body of the House.

The Lord Speaker or Deputy Speaker cannot determine which members may speak, or discipline members for violating the rules of the House; these measures may be taken only by the House itself. Unlike the politically neutral Speaker of the House of Commons, the Lord Chancellor and Deputy Speakers originally remained members of their respective parties, and were permitted to participate in debate; however, this is no longer true of the new role of Lord Speaker.

Another officer of the body is the Leader of the House of Lords, a peer selected by the Prime Minister. The Leader of the House is responsible for steering Government bills through the House of Lords, and is a member of the Cabinet. The Leader also advises the House on proper procedure when necessary, but such advice is merely informal, rather than official and binding. A Deputy Leader is also appointed by the Prime Minister, and takes the place of an absent or unavailable leader.

The [[Clerk of the Parliaments]] is the chief clerk and officer of the House of Lords (but is not a member of the House itself). The Clerk, who is appointed by the Crown, advises the presiding officer on the rules of the House, signs orders and official communications, endorses bills, and is the keeper of the official records of both Houses of Parliament. Moreover, the Clerk of the Parliaments is responsible for arranging by-elections of hereditary peers when necessary. The deputies of the Clerk of the Parliaments (the Clerk Assistant and the Reading Clerk) are appointed by the Lord Speaker, subject to the House's approval.

The [[Black Rod|Gentleman or Lady Usher of the Black Rod]] is also an officer of the House; they take their title from the symbol of their office, a black rod. Black Rod (as the Gentleman/Lady Usher is normally known) is responsible for ceremonial arrangements, is in charge of the House's doorkeepers, and may (upon the order of the House) take action to end disorder or disturbance in the Chamber. Black Rod also holds the office of [[Serjeant-at-Arms]] of the House of Lords, and in this capacity attends upon the Lord Speaker. The Gentleman or Lady Usher of the Black Rod's duties may be delegated to the Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod or to the Assistant Serjeant-at-Arms.