Legislatures are vital institutions at the heart of any democracy. They not only enact laws and approve budgets, but also act as representative and deliberative assemblies, and as bodies that scrutinize and oversee the actions of the executive. In order to perform these functions effectively, legislatures need to be organized, in terms of their internal leadership, their committee structures, and the rules by which they transact public business. They also need an effective administration, including appropriate clerical support and facilities. The ability of legislatures to play their part in the democratic system also depends upon their privileges—the ability they have to protect themselves and their members against undue influences, and to maintain their functional independence from the executive.

This primer will be helpful for anyone involved—directly or indirectly—in constitutional change, and anyone involved in strengthening legislatures and helping them to work more effectively. It provides a global survey of the ways in which constitutions provide for the organization, administration and privileges of legislatures. It addresses the key issues that constitutional designers or reformers have to consider when crafting suitable constitutional provisions. A consistent theme running through the primer is the way in which the powers of the majority and the rights and voice of the political minority in the Legislature are balanced.