Legislative assembly - Definition and Overview

Note: This article is about the Legislative Assemblies in the British context. For other usages, see the end of this article.

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). In the Canadian province of Ontario, however, they are referred to a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP), a historical holdover from when that province's Legislative Assembly was known as the Provincial Parliament. In the province of Quebec, They are referred to as Members of the National Assembly (MNA), which often confuses the distinction between "Province" and "Nation" of Quebec.

Where the Legislative Assembly functions purely as a legislature

• Australia: Queensland, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory.
• Canada: all provinces and territories, although Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador use different titles.
• Northern Ireland
• Norfolk Island

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.

See also

• House of Assembly

In the context of the French Revolution the French Legislative Assembly (Assemblée Legislative) functioned as the legislature of France from 1 October 1791 to September 1792.