Legislative Assembly
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- This article is about the term as used within the Commonwealth of Nations; there is also an Legislative Assembly in Oregon and there used to be a Legislative Assembly in France during the French Revolution.
A Legislative Assembly in British constitutional thought is the second-to-top or third-to-top tier of a government led by a Governor-General, Governor or a Lieutenant-Governor, inferior to an Executive Council and equal to or inferior to a Legislative Council. Though the Legislative Council should in theory operate as a legislature of a governorate (not necessarily a colony) with elected members, the separate development of governments in the British Empire and Commonwealth has seen the Councils evolve.
Politicians elected to a Legislative Assembly are usually referred to as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). However, in Canada, members of the province of Ontario's Legislative Assembly are known as Members of the Provincial Parliament (MPP, Ontario). In Northern Ireland, members of the Northern Ireland Assembly are also known as MLAs, even though the Assembly itself is not called the Legislative Assembly.
In Quebec, the Legislative Assembly was renamed the National Assembly after the Legislative Council was abolished in 1968.
In Mauritius, the country's unicameral parliament was known as the Legislative Assembly until 1992, when, following the establishment of a republic, it was renamed the National Assembly.
Where the Legislative Assembly functions purely as a legislature
- Australia: Queensland, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory.
- Canada: all provinces and territories, except Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.
- India: in 23 of India's 28 states, the Legislative Assembly serves as the unicameral legislature. In five states (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir, the Legislative Assembly serves as the lower house of a bicameral legislature.
Where the Legislative Assembly has assumed extra functions
Usually in this case the Legislative Assembly functioned as an Lower House or first chamber of a bicameral legislature operating under the Westminster System. The superior chamber or Upper House is sometimes the Legislative Council. This development is often seen when the governorates gain more responsible government.
- Australia: New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. South Australia and Tasmania call the lower house the House of Assembly.
- The Colony of British Columbia (1858-1871) and the Crown Colony of Vancouver Island (1843-1866) had separate Legislative Assemblies (British Columbia's was not convened until 1863). In those colonies, and in the United Colonies of 1866-1871, the Legislative Assemblies had limited powers relative to that of the Governor of British Columbia and the largely appointed Executive Council, which included local military and judicial officials.