Overview

This bill aims to modernize the rules of succession to hereditary peerages in the UK, ensuring that daughters and their descendants have equal rights to inherit peerages as sons, effectively ending male-preference primogeniture.

Description

The Succession to Peerages Bill modifies the law governing inheritance of hereditary peerages. It introduces a "universal rule of succession" (section 2) which prioritizes inheritance based on birth order, regardless of gender, with one exception: within a sibling group, males and their descendants take precedence over females.

Key Changes:

• Eliminates gender discrimination: Women and those who inherit through women will no longer be barred from inheriting peerages.
• Universal rule with exception: While aiming for gender equality, a degree of male preference remains within groups of siblings.
• Retroactive effect (limited): The bill applies retroactively to peerages that became extinct after 6 February 1952, allowing potential heirs previously excluded to claim their right, subject to petitioning Her Majesty.
• Peerages in abeyance: The bill also affects peerages currently in abeyance (where there is no clear heir), redistributing them according to the new universal rule.
• Exclusions: The bill explicitly does not affect succession to the Crown, the peerages or possessions held by the monarch, land ownership, or successions occurring before its enactment.

Government Spending

The bill is unlikely to have a significant direct impact on government spending. The administrative costs associated with implementing the changes and handling petitions are expected to be relatively modest.

Groups Affected

• Women and their descendants: Potentially gain the right to inherit peerages, expanding their access to titles and associated privileges.
• Heirs to extinct peerages (post-6 Feb 1952): May be able to petition the monarch to claim their entitlement to inherited peerages.
• Individuals with peerages in abeyance: May see the succession resolved and their claim clarified under the new rules.
• The House of Lords: May experience a shift in membership composition over time as more women inherit peerages.

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