The Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act 1928 gave women the Parliamentary vote on the same terms as men for the first time. It removed the qualifications of the Representation of the People Act 1918, which had given women … Read more
Viscountess Rhondda, a hereditary woman peer in her own right, was the first woman to petition to take her seat in the House of Lords. No woman had attempted this previously because of long-established custom and lack of precedent. Although … Read more
On 29 July 1920, The Times reported that ‘Women jurors were empaneled for the first time at the Bristol Quarter Sessions yesterday’. A jury of six women and six men had ‘adjudicated on six cases’. Prosecuting counsel used the unfamiliar … Read more
The Industrial Courts Act 1919 established a permanent Industrial Court to provide voluntary arbitration in trade disputes. Section 1 provided that the Court should consist of independent persons, persons representing employers, persons representing workmen, and ‘in addition one or more … Read more
The Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918 enabled women to be elected to, sit and vote in the UK House of Commons. Women were previously barred as a matter of common law rather than statute law. It followed the Representation … Read more
The amendment to Canon C2 of the Canons of the Church of England removed final barrier preventing the appointment of women as bishops, removing the final constitutional barrier to women’s full participation in parliament.
The Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act 2012 provided a gender quota for general elections in Ireland.
In 2003, the National Assembly of Wales became the first legislative chamber to elect equal numbers of female and male Assembly Members.
The Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act 2002 allowed UK parliamentary parties to select candidates based on gender in order to increase proportion of women in Parliament.
The Life Peerages Act 1958 allowed women to sit in the House of Lords.